The Beginning of Ben's Reign
by Astral Wish
Summary: Two months after his coronation, Ben has big plans for Auradon. But things do not go smoothly when Andrew, son of Anna and Kristoff, reveals strange powers from his curse, and four new VKs come to Auradon Prep: Hayden, son of Hades; Harley, son of The Queen of Hearts; Claire, daughter of Clayton; and Frances, daughter of Frollo.
1. The Announcement

The Beginning of Ben's Reign (Descendant's Fanfiction)

Chapter 1: The Announcement

It was a normal day for Mal. Or, at least, as normal as it could get for her, the good daughter of the worst villain in Auradon history: Maleficent.

Up until a few months ago, Mal and her friends, Evie, daughter of The Evil Queen, Jay, son of Jafar, and Carlos, son Cruella de Vil, had been the worst troublemakers on the Isle of the Lost, a secluded island off the coast of Auradon that had a magical barrier around it prevent the villains banished there from escaping and wreaking havoc.

She and her friends had lived there their whole lives, until Prince Ben (now King Ben), son of Belle and The Beast had transferred them to a school in Auradon called Auradon Prep.

After struggling to choose between good and evil, and having to deal with the harsh words of Audrey, daughter of Aurora and Phillip, and Chad Charming, son of Prince Charming and Cinderella, Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos ultimately chose to be good, and Mal found the courage to face her mother and defy her plan to have Mal and her friends steal The Fairy Godmother's wand for her dark purposes, and defeated her once and for all.

Since then, Mal and her friends lived in Auradon, and attended Auradon Prep with the other children of the Auradon royalty and heroes.

Suddenly, a voice called out to her as she was walking down the hall,

"Mal! Mal, wait!"

Mal turned and instantly felt her heart soar as Ben, her boyfriend, ran toward her.

"There you are!" he said, panting but smiling, "I've been looking all over for you!"

"What's up?" Mal asked, trying to keep her cool, despite her pounding heart.

"There's something I need to discuss with you. Something _very_ important." Ben said.

"Okay…" Mal said, a bit anxious.

Ben's face suddenly changed to alarm when he realized how his message sounded.

"Oh! No, no, no! Don't worry, Mal. This isn't something bad. Something amazing's happened. Something that will affect Auradon in the best way! Trust me, you're not going back to the Isle of the Lost of anything!"

"Oh, okay. What's going on, then?" Mal asked.

Ben winked and said "It's a surprise. Find Evie, Jay, and Carlos, and meet me in my room, and I'll tell you, okay?" 

"'Kay." Mal said, turning to find go find her friends.

"Thanks, Mal!" Ben called as she left.

"No problem!" Mal called back.

Finding Carlos and Jay was easy. As usual, they were on the field doing tourney practice. Getting their attention? That was the challenge. They were so focused on their practice match, that they were lost of anything else.

"Jay, Carlos!" Mal called.

But Jay was too busy trying to score a goal, and Carlos was busy trying to block him.

"Jay, Carlos!" Mal called, louder. Unfortunately, they were still too focused on their mock game to hear her.

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Mal grumbled as she walked over to the cheerleaders.

"Mind if I borrow this?" Mal asked a cheerleader and pointing to a megaphone.

"Sure!" she said.

"Thanks!" Mal said, grabbing the megaphone.

She ran back to the sidelines and shouted into the megaphone,

"JAY, CARLOS!"

Finally, they heard her. Unfortunately, Jay got so distracted that he got tackled.

After helping Jay from under the tackle, Carlos and Jay ran to meet up with Mal.

"What's going on, Mal?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah, what's so important that you interrupted our practice for?" Jay asked, a bit grumpy.

"Ben wasn't us to meet him in his room. He says he has something important to discuss." Mal said.

Jay and Carlos frowned, looked at each other, looked back at Mal, and the Carlos cautiously asked:

"What does he want to talk about?"

"I don't know. He just said he needs to talk to us, but it's not anything bad." Mal soothed.

"Oh, okay." Carlos said, relieved.

"Do you have any idea where Evie could be?" Mal asked.

"Last I heard, she and Doug were doing some chemistry tutoring in one of the labs." Jay said.

"Great, let's go!" Mal said, running off the field with Carlos and Jay on her heels.

True to Jay's word, they found Evie with Doug in one of the labs, leading a study group for chemistry.

"Remember," Evie said patiently, "The mass of an element is equal to the number of protons it has plus the number of neutrons. So, if the number of neutrons is 24, and the number of protons is 12..."

"Evie," Mal called.

Evie turned and smiled, seeing her best friends.

"Hey guys!" she said cheerily, "You're just in time for our study group! If you'll take a seat, Doug or I will get to you as soon as we can-!"

"Actually, that's not what we're here for." Jay interrupted.

"What do you mean?" Evie asked.

"Ben asked to see us. He says he has something important to tell us." Mal said.

Evie tensed and hesitantly asked, "Uh…Did we…do something…wrong?"

"No, no!" Mal said with a laugh, "Nothing bad's happened. In fact, he said something amazing happened."

"What happened?" Evie asked, excited.

"I don't know. He says it's a surprise!" Mal exclaimed.

"Ooh. I love surprises!" Evie turned to Doug and asked, "Can you take over the study group for me?"

"Sure." Doug said, "See you later, Eve!"

"You too!" Evie called as she left.

"Okay, spill." Evie demanded, turning to Mal as they walked, "Did Ben give any hints about what it might be?"

"Hmm…" Mal said thoughtfully, "He did say it could affect Auradon in the best way."

"Wow. Sounds like whatever it is, it's going to be a big deal!" Carlos exclaimed.

"Maybe they're transferring more villain kids to Auradon Prep?" Evie guessed.

"I think it's something more important than that," Jay said, "Not saying that the 'villain kid inclusion' thing isn't important, of course."

"How about we just talk to Ben, and find out ourselves?" Mal suggested.

"I'm so excited! I can't stand the tension!" Evie exclaimed.

"Well, looks like you won't have to wait too much longer, E." Mal said as they approached Ben's door.

She knocked on Ben's door, and automatically, he answered, "Come in."

Mal and her friends opened the door to find Ben hunched over at his desk, concentrating on some papers.

"Hey, Ben!" Mal said.

Ben turned and smiled. "Hey, Mal. Evie, Jay, Carlos, glad you could make it."

"What's that you're working on?" Carlos asked.

"Oh, this? Well, since the whole 'bring villain kids to Auradon' proclamation worked out well for you four, I was thinking we could bring in some more, and see if it works just as well for them." Ben said, pushing the papers aside, "But that's now what I wanted to talk to you about. Jay, would you mind shutting the door?"

"Sure." Jay said, pulling the door in.

"All right, you guys have heard of Arendalle, right?" Ben asked.

"I have. It's a kingdom up north ruled by a queen with ice powers. I think her name's…Ella?" Evie guessed.

"Elsa," Ben corrected, "But yes, that's correct. Anyways, my father has been trying for years to try to convince her to merge our kingdoms. She was fearful, but then I became king, and.."

Ben took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure.

"I finally convinced her." Ben said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"What does that mean?" Carlos asked, confused.

"It means Arendalle will officially become a part of Auradon!" Ben said, excitedly.

"Really?" Mal asked, excited, "Oh my gosh, Ben, that's amazing!"

"Your parents must be so proud!" Evie agreed.

"They are. But that's not even the best part. They've agreed to send their kids to Auradon Prep!" Ben exclaimed.

"Their kids?" Carlos asked.

Ben nodded and said, "Queen Elsa's son, and Anna and Kristoff's kids."

"Even better!" Evie squealed.

"Hold up," Jay said, "I still don't see what this has to do with us."

"Well, I was hoping you guys would be part of our welcoming committee." Ben said.

"Welcoming committee?" Evie asked.

"Yeah. Welcoming them when they first arrive, helping them adjust, that sort of thing." Ben explained.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Mal said reluctantly.

"Why not?" Ben said, frowning.

"These kids were born good. They may be a bit…prejudicial about us villain kids." Mal worried.

"Not all of the good kids were like that! Ben, Lonnie, and Doug weren't, remember?" Evie soothed.

"But a lot of people were. Remember the things Audrey and Chad said to us?" Mal asked.

"I don't see why they would hate us. I mean, it's not their parents have a vendetta against any of our parents." Carlos said.

"Your friends are right, Mal." Ben reassured her, "Queen Elsa and Princess Anna have always been super understanding and kind. Their kids shouldn't be prejudicial."

"And if they are?" Mal asked.

"If they are, we'll help them see otherwise. You've got nothing to worry about, Mal." Ben said.

Mal took a deep breath, and said, "All right, I'll do it."

"Me too!" Evie said.

"I'm in!" Carlos exclaimed.

"Let's do it," said Jay.

"Great!" Ben said, "I'll announce it to the kingdom later today! I'm also planning to add a few more people to the welcoming committee."

"Who else?" Mal asked.

"Jane, Lonnie, maybe Whitney, and a few others." Ben said.

"Whitney?" Jay asked.

"Snow White's daughter." Ben explained.

Evie winced and said, "Snow White…?"

"Yeah, why-oh." Ben said, remembering Evie's parentage, "Uh…okay, I guess we won't include her, then."

"Why?" Carlos asked.

"Whitney's a bit…sensitive about things regarding The Evil Queen." Ben shrugged and said, "I'll just add Melody to the roster. She's one of Ariel and Eric's daughters, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Ben smiled and said, "I'm really glad you all are doing this. I know you'll do great at welcoming the Arendalle kids to Auradon Prep."

There was a sudden knock on the door, and a butler came in and said, "Pardon me, your majesty, but you need to start getting ready for your announcement in an hour."

"Oh, yes. Thank you, sir." Ben said.

The butler bowed formally and exited the room, closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry I have to cut this short, guys, but I need to change so I look formal when making my announcement." Ben said.

"Will we need to dress up too?" Carlos asked.

"No, no. Just ne. Thanks again for doing this guys, I really appreciate it." Ben said.

"No problem," said Jay.

Just as the four of them turned to leave, Mal turned back and asked, "Ben?"

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Is there any news about…my mother's…condition?" Mal asked.

Ben's smile was replaced by a look of pity, and sadness. "No change, I'm afraid."

"So, she's still a two-inch tall gecko who's incapable of love?" Mal asked sadly.

Ben nodded and said solemnly, "I'm sorry, Mal."

Mal sighed and said, "It's fine. She's been wicked almost her entire life. It's going to take her a long time to change. Assuming she ever does."

"Of course, she will!" Evie said, "You've just got to have a little bit of faith, okay?"

"'Kay. We'd better leave Ben now, so he can change." Mal said.

"See you later, Ben!" Evie called.

"See you." Ben said, closing his door as the four VKs walked out.

 _I wonder what the Arendalle kids will be like,_ Mal thought.


	2. Welcoming The Children of Arendalle

The Beginning of Ben's Reign Chapter 2: Welcoming the Children of Arendalle

It was a few weeks after Ben's announcement to the kingdom about the merging of Auradon, and the students of Auradon Prep were buzzing with anticipation and excitement for the new students to arrive, now that Arendalle had officially joined Auradon.

Mal and her friends were just as excited as everyone else, and, at lunch, it was all they could think about.

"I'm so excited!" Ally squealed, "What do you think the Arendalle kids will be like?"

"Given how Queen Elsa has ice powers, I'm guessing her son's going to be an ice mage, too." Freddie said.

"Obviously. Why _wouldn't_ he?! I just hope he's cute. And hopefully Anna and Kristoff's son, too, assuming they have one." Audrey said.

"I heard that Queen Elsa and Princess Anna both love chocolate," Jane said timidly, "Maybe their kids will, too?"

"If that's the case, we'd better stock up on chocolate before they eat it all." Mal teased.

The girls started giggling, and Lonnie asked, "When are they arriving again?"

"Ben said should be here at about 1:00." Evie said.

"Ugh, I wish the fifteen minutes would come sooner! I'm feel like I'm about to burst from anticipation!" Ally complained.

"Not going to lie, I'm still a little nervous." Mal said.

"Mal, everything's going to be fine." Evie soothed.

"She's right. What would the Arendalle kids have against you or your friend's parents? It's not like your mom tried to mess with Queen Elsa's and Princess Anna's lives. I don't see why they'd have a vendetta against you." Lonnie said.

"Neither did Chad, and he still said hurtful things to us." Mal pointed out.

Jordan snorted and said, "Well that's because he's Chad. How two of the nicest people in all Auradon managed to have such a self-obsessed turd for a son is beyond me. But your friends are right. Queen Elsa and Princess Anna are super nice, so their kids should be cool."

"I hope so…" Mal said doubtfully.

"Attention, everyone!" Ben called in his leader-like voice.

All of the students in the lunchroom turned to face Ben, and he then continued, "I have received word that the car carrying our new peers from Arendalle is running ahead of schedule, and will be here in 10 minutes. Will everyone who is involved in the school band or who I have personally invited to be a part of our welcoming committee please meet me on the front lawn?"

"Guess it's time, guys." Lonnie said, standing up.

"Make sure to give them a nice, warm welcome!" Audrey said.

"Don't worry, we will." Evie said as she left her chair, winking.

"Wish I'd been asked to join the welcoming committee." Freddie grumbled.

"Come on, Mal!" Jane called as the girls started to leave, "You don't want to be late, do you?"

"No, I guess not." Mal said, rising out of her chair.

A little while later, Mal and the rest her friends were standing outside the school's main entrance, waiting for their new classmates to arrive. Mal was trying to hide her nerves by smiling, and wiping her sweaty palms on her jacket.

"Mal, relax," Evie said, "Everything's going to be okay."

Just as Mal was about to say something, Ben called from the in front of the group, "Mal, come stand next to me!"

Mal slowly moved towards Ben, still trying to conceal her nerves as to not worry Ben or the Arendalle kids.

Ben turned, smiling, but then quickly frowned, concerned.

"Are you okay, Mal?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Just…nervous excitement." Mal lied.

Ben's frown deepened and he said, "Mal, I can tell you're not okay. Tell me what's wrong."

Mal sighed and said, "Okay. I'm still afraid the Arendalle kids will be prejudicial against us. I know it sounds dumb, but-!"

"Mal, that doesn't sound dumb at all!" Ben said, "I understand why you're worried. And I wish I could promise that the Arendalle kids won't be biased against you and your friends, but I can't. But if they are, I promise we'll get things straightened out. I won't let anyone hurt you or Evie, Jay, and Carlos, okay?"

Mal nodded, reassured. Then Ben said, "While we're here, I was hoping you could help me with something."

"What?" Mal asked.

"Remember when you first came to Auradon Prep and I went a bit over-the-top with my introduction?" Ben asked.

Mal smiled and said, "It was more than a bit."

"Right. I was hoping you could help me not make a fool of myself with my first impression like I did with you and your friends." Ben said.

"Sure." Mal said, "What've you got so far."

Ben's face turned serious, and he said much too formally, "Hello. Welcome to Auradon Prep. I'm Ben, King of Auradon, and-!"

Mal burst into laughter at his ridiculous intro, causing Ben to smile sheepishly and say, "Too much?"

"Way, way too much!" Mal said in between bursts of laughter.

"You were like, 'Hello. Welcome to Auradon Prep. I'm Ben, King of Auradon!'" Mal said, imitating Ben's overly formal introduction.

"Was I really?" Ben said, grinning.

"Yep." Mal said, still laughing.

Ben laughed too and said, "Thank you for correcting me on that. That would've been embarrassing. I've been a prince my whole life, and I still haven't mastered introductions."

"Because you're trying too hard, and forcing it!" Mal said, "Just let it happen naturally. Pretend you're meeting someone you want to be friends with for the first time!"

"It's just…I don't want to look leaderlike and formal, so they can get a good first impression of Auradon, but I don't want to seem uptight and strict." Ben said.

"Then just be yourself! You're perfect the way you are, Ben! You managed to make me, the daughter of the evilest villain in all Auradon's history, fall in love with you by being yourself! You've got this!" Mal said.

Ben grinned and said, "All right then, how about this: 'Hi, welcome to Auradon Prep! My name's Ben. It's a pleasure to meet you all.'"

"Perfect!" Mal said.

Ben's phone suddenly started buzzing in his pocket. Ben picked it up and said, "Hello?"

"Hi, what's up?" Ben said, smiling. His eyes suddenly widened in alarm, and he said, "Oh, wow. You really are running ahead of schedule, aren't you? No, no, it's fine. We'll be ready soon. Okay. See you in a bit."

"Attention, everyone!" Ben called once he hung up, "Our driver has just informed me that he will be arriving with our new friends from Arendalle in less than a minute!"

Everyone started acting a bit panicked, rushing to get into their places, and Evie trying to apply her makeup as fast as she could.

"Should we start playing, Ben?" Doug called from among the band.

"Yes, please." Ben called.

"One, two, three, four!" Doug called.

The band started playing the school anthem, and Ben squeezed Mal's hand and said, "Don't worry, okay? Everything's going to be fine, I promise."

Mal nodded, but still felt uncomfortable deep down.

Not even a minute later, a black limo pulled up to the driveway, and everyone cheered, even the band when Ben motioned for them to stop playing.

When the limo stopped, the door opened, and a boy with light blond hair and blue eyes stepped out, wearing a gray jacket with triangular cut sleeves over a light blue shirt with a snowflake design, blue jeans, and turquoise shoes.

He was followed by a nervous-looking red-haired boy with dark eyes and freckles with a green jacket over top a black shirt, light green pants with darker green stripes on the side, and emerald green shoes.

The final passenger was a girl with long, blond, straight hair in a braid, a beanie with a pom-pom on top covering the top of her head. She was wearing a grey turtleneck sweater over a dark grey vest lined with faux fur on the inside, dark blue jeans, and brown boots the strangely curved up at the toes.

She looked around, grunted, and said, "Not bad."

"Hi!" Ben called, "I take it that you guys are our new transfer students from Arendalle."

"We sure are, "the boy with the snowflake shirt said, "My name's Elliot, but I prefer being called Eli. I'm the son of Queen Elsa. These are my cousins, Andrew and Kristina, son and daughter of Princess Anna and Kristoff."

Kristina rolled her eyes and said, "How many times do I have to tell you, Eli?! I don't like being called Kristina! My name is _Kris_!"

Eli coughed and said, "Right, sorry Kris." He then turned to Ben and Mal and said, "Sorry about that. Kris is rather…tomboyish."

"No problem," Ben said, "I'm Ben, and this is Mal."

"Hi." Mal said.

"Oh, yes. We've heard a lot about you." Eli said.

"You have?" Mal said nervously.

Eli nodded and said, "You were very brave to stand up to your own mother to protect your friends. It's amazing that you managed to beat Maleficent at her own game."

"Oh. Thanks." Mal said, relieved.

"Y-yeah," Andrew said nervously, "I'd never be able to w-work up the courage to face her."

Ben frowned and said, "Is he okay?"

"He's fine. This is just a big change for him. He should be fine soon." Eli said uncertainly.

Mal looked at Ben, and she saw in his eyes that he was thinking the same thing she was.

 _They're hiding something._

"So, um, would you guys like a tour of our school?" Ben asked.

"Sure!" Eli said.

"May as well." Kris said.

"Yeah, it should be fun, following you guys around." Andrew said.

He suddenly looked alarmed and said, "I mean, to get a view of the school. I would never stalk you guys or anything!"

"Nice save." Kris grumbled, as they started walking into the Auradon Prep campus.

"Shut up!" Andrew said.

"Guys, please behave. Remember that discussion we had about first impressions." Eli said.

"Yes, father." Kris said sarcastically.

"Just because our parents aren't here, Kris, doesn't mean we can abandon all sense of decency! You are a princess! Please act like it!" Andrew said.

"I don't want to be a princess!" Kris snarled.

"Well, you were born the daughter of a princess and her husband! That makes you a princess! Sorry you hate that fact, but you have to live with it!" Andrew said.

"Guys, stop!" Eli pleaded.

"I'm just trying to make sure we all make and a good first impression, and Kris is-!" Andrew protested.

"Andrew," Eli warned, sounding more afraid than angry, "Calm down. And Kris, I know you hate acting ladylike, but can you please try? Just for today?"

"If you're so concerned with making a good first impression, then let me be myself. How would you feel if you met someone for the first time, and then you found the next day they were acting differently than who they really are?! Wouldn't that make you pissed?" Kris snapped.

"Kris, we're representing more than just ourselves here. We're representing our entire kingdom. If you go in there acting like this, what are they going to think of Arendalle?" Eli said.

Kris growled, and then huffed and said, "Fine. Just for today."

"Thank you. Now straighten up, loosen your shoulders, raise your chin, and let's go." Eli said.

Kris grumbled, but did as she was told, and continued walking.

Mal turned to her friends and Ben and whispered, "You guys saw what I saw, right?"

They all nodded, and Jay said, "They're definitely hiding something."

"Why did Eli sound scared to confront Andrew?" Evie wondered.

"Maybe he's got poor leadership issues?" Carlos said.

"I doubt it," Ben said, "If Eli was a bad leader, he would've sounded nervous about confronting Kris, too. But he didn't."

"Maybe there's something wrong with him that makes Eli scared?" Evie said.

"Is everything okay?" Eli called.

"What do you mean?" Mal asked.

"Why are you guys whispering to each other like that?" he asked.

"Everything's fine. We're just trying to figure out why you guys are so tense." Ben said.

"Jet lag." Eli said.

"Long car ride." Kris said simultaneously.

"First day nerves." Andrew said at the same time.

Mal frowned and thought, _Yeah, something's up._

Eli coughed and said, "What we meant to see is all three of those things is why we seem so tense. We should be all better by tomorrow."

"…Okay, then!" Ben said, trying to remain cheery, "Um, Doug will show you to your rooms. If you guys need anything, feel free to ask any of us. See you later!"

Ben walked away towards his room, and Mal followed him. All the others walked back towards their classes.

"Ben?" Mal asked, "You doing okay?"

Ben huffed and said, "Well, as far as all the introductions I've done before, that was one of the worst."

"I'm sorry." Mal said.

"It's not your fault, Mal." Ben said.

"They're hiding something." Mal mused.

Ben nodded and said, "Yeah, I know. I just wish there was a way I could help them."

"Well, until they admit what the problem is, there's really not much that you can do, Ben." Mal said.

Ben hung his head and said, "I know."

"Look, Ben, I know you want to try and help everyone no matter what, and that's great," Mal said, "It shows what a great king you are! But you can't help the Arendalle kids with what their issue is until they tell us. Maybe we should just give them some time. They might open up to what the issue is once they warm up to us."

Ben smiled and said, "Thanks, Mal."

He then chuckled and said, "It's so weird. We've only been together for two months, and you've been evil up until now, and yet, somehow, you always know just what to say when I'm down in the dumps."

Mal grinned and said, "I learned from the best."

Ben's smile grew wider and he said, "I always had faith that there was good in you somewhere and your friends somewhere, Mal."

"I know. And that faith helped us find the good inside of us, and helped us see that we _aren't_ our parents. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. So, really, I should be thanking you." Mal said.

"You're welcome." Ben said, leaning in close to Mal's face.

He then closed his eyes and put his lips on hers. Mal was shocked for a millisecond, and then felt as her whole body was floating. She wrapped her arms around Ben, and lost all sense of reality as she soaked in the moment. She couldn't see, hear, or feel anything except Ben's lips on hers, their arms wrapped around each other's backs, and her heart, pounding like a drum against her chest, beating at a thousand miles a minute.

Suddenly, a voice jolted her back to reality.

"Uh…"

Mal pulled away from Ben and opened her eyes to see Evie covering her mouth with both of her hands, her eyes shining with barely contained excitement and joy. Carlos, however, looked shell-shocked, and Jay was standing there with his mouth wide open.

Mal quickly backed away from Ben and felt her face go red.

"Uh…Hey, guys! What's up?" Mal said, trying to keep her cool.

"Um, we uh, need to report back to our, ah, classes." Jay said, flabbergasted.

"Right," Ben said, also embarrassed, "I'll, uh, see you later, Mal."

"Y-yeah, you too." Mal said, walking over to join her friends.

As Mal and her friends walked to their classes, Mal turned to her friends and said, "I can't believe that just happened!"

"Why?!" Evie squealed, "You and Ben just had your first kiss! It was so cute! I think he loves you, Mal!"

"I know. And I loved that kiss. But that's exactly the point! It was supposed to be a private moment between the two of us!" Mal groaned.

"Well it's not like we were purposely stalking you two! We just walked in and happened to see…that." Carlos said.

"I know. I just…let's just go to our classes, okay?" Mal asked.

The rest of the day went very smoothly for Mal and her gang, except for her friends in her class asking her why her face was red.

But then, at dinner, everything went to hell in a hand basket.

"Oh my god!" Audrey said, "You guys have _got_ to tell us about the new Arendalle kids! What are they like?! Is Queen Elsa's son cute?"

"I could care less about how attractive Queen Elsa's son is, but I am curious as to what the new kids are like." Freddie said.

"They're all really nice. None of them are biased about our parentage. Eli even called me standing up to my mom very brave." Mal said.

"I told you they'd be cool about it!" Lonnie said triumphantly.

"I told her that too, you know." Jordan said.

"Hang on for just one second. Who's Eli?" Ally asked.

"Queen Elsa's son. His full name's Elliot, but he said he prefers Eli. And yeah, he's cute. Not that'd I'd ditch Doug to be with him, of course." Evie said.

"What about Princess Anna's and Kristoff's kids?" Jane asked.

"They have a son and a daughter, Andrew and Kristina. She said she likes being called Kris, though." Mal said.

"That's odd," Ally said, "What kind of princess would prefer such a boyish name?"

The doors to the cafeteria then opened, and Eli, Andrew, and Kris walked in. The entire dining room instantly went silent, as everyone wanted to catch a glimpse at the new students.

Kris strutted into the cafeteria with a confident smirk on her face, having forgotten about making a good first impression. Andrew had his fists clenched, and was looking super nervous. Eli tried whispering encouraging words into his cousin's ear, then gave a friendly smile, and walked casually into the room.

"Oh my god," Audrey said when she saw Eli, "He's gorgeous."

"Go talk to him, then." Jordan teased.

Audrey rose from her seat, and said, "You know what? I think I will!"

"No, wait, I didn't mean-!" Jordan called after Audrey.

"Let her go, Jor." Mal said.

"Hi!" Audrey said, coming up behind Eli.

"Uh, hi!" Eli said, turning.

"You're Eli, right? Son of Queen Elsa?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah. And who might you be?" Eli asked politely.

"I'm Princess Audrey. Daughter of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip." Audrey said flirtishly.

"Ah. Well that's…nice." Eli said uncomfortably.

"I'm glad you've come to Auradon Prep." Audrey said.

"…Thanks?" Eli said.

"You know, for a guy with ice magic, you're pretty hot." Audrey said, putting her hand on Eli's shoulder.

Audrey said yelped and pulled her hand away, and the floor around the nearby tables was suddenly covered in an inch of snow.

"AH!" Audrey cried, "My hand's frozen!"

"I'm so sorry!" Eli said, "This happens sometimes when I get nervous. Can someone open a window, please?"

One of the guys at table near the end of the room opened a window, and Eli closed his eyes in concentration.

The snow immediately left floated of the ground, condensed itself into a large snowball, and flung itself out the open window.

"How did you do that?" Ally asked, "That was incredible!"

Eli smiled and said, "My mom taught me that trick."

"Uh, what about my hand?!" Audrey snapped.

"Your hand should be fine. It's just covered in a thin layer of frost. Nothing bad will happen to it." Eli said.

"Oh. So, I was wondering if you would like to come sit with me and my friends at our table. And Andrew, too, of course." Audrey said, smiling again.

"Um, actually we were going to go sit with Ben and his friends. But, I'm sure Kris would be happy to sit with you guys." Eli said.

Kris looked at Audrey distastefully, and then huffed and said, "Sure. Why not?"

"Oh, uh, okay, then!" Audrey looking uncomfortable, "I guess I'll see you later, then?"

"Yeah, you too." Eli said, turning and walking away.

Audrey and Kris walked back to the table and Kris proceeded to grab an empty chair from a nearby table, plop it down noisily in front of the table, plopped down, and leaned back in her chair.

"So, you're Princess Kristina? Daughter of Princess Anna and Kristoff?" Ally said, trying to break the ice.

Kris glared and said, "Please don't call me that. I _hate_ my title and my full name. It's _just Kris_."

"Why don't you like being called Kristina?" Lonnie asked.

"Because it's way too formal and princessy. 'Kristina' s says I'm someone who all 'proper' and 'refined' and 'elegant'. Someone who's been raised to be 'royal'. That's not me at all! I'd rather be Kris than 'Princess Kristina' any day!" Kris said.

"You don't like being a princess?!" Audrey cried.

"Why would I? Being a princess is so stifling. Just because I was born into a royal family doesn't mean I like having to be all feminine and wear dresses and a tiara. I absolutely despise having to learn diplomacy, and manners, and curtsying and how to rule a kingdom! No, I'd rather hike the Olympian Trail through the Olympian Mountains in the north! Or explore the Auradon Catacombs! I'd _kill_ to be able to take on the Warrior's Trial in the Crystal Caves in the Auradon Mountains, or scuba dive the Straits of Ursula! That's the kind of life I want to live! A life where I'm _free_!" Kris said passionately.

"Ugh!" Audrey mumbled under her breath.

"Yeah, you would think that life would be awful, wouldn't you, _Your Highness_?" Kris snapped.

"Yeah, I do!" Audrey retaliated, "Because what kind of girl-what kind of _princess_ -chooses a such a dirty, dangerous life over her birthright title?!"

"The kind that doesn't want to be chained to the ground that comes with all the responsibilities that comes with being a princess! The kind that would rather climb Merida's Falls than be stuck in a castle learning how to manage taxes and other boring subjects! The kind that wishes she hadn't been born a princess at all!" Kris barked.

" _Wow._ Unbelievable. What did your parents _do to you_ to make you like this?! Thank goodness that my parents raised me the _right way_." Audrey sneered.

Kris barked a laugh, and Audrey snapped, "What's so funny?!"

"Oh, nothing! I just think it's amusing how you think you're so perfect and that your parents are like the poster parents for raising a kid! Clearly, they're not, otherwise they wouldn't have raised a _stuck-up airhead who doesn't know how to back off when their flirting is making someone uncomfortable_!"

"Kris, stop!" Andrew said, running over, Ben and Eli right on his heels.

"Okay, looks like things are getting a bit tense between you two." Ben said, "Kris, how about you come sit with us?"

"Yes," Audrey said, " _Please_ get her away from me!"

"Yeah, because Ben's your little servant, right?" Kris snapped, "What are you going to tell him to do next? Go fetch a drink for you?! Does the fact that he's _king_ mean nothing to you?!"

"Kris, stop, you're only making things worse! Just walk away from her!" Eli begged.

"Now I can see why your parents sent you away!" Audrey sneered.

"I can see why yours sent you here, too! If you were my daughter, I'd have you packing your designer bags _in a heartbeat_!" Kris barked.

"KNOCK! IT! OFF!" Andrew yelled.

Suddenly, twin columns of fire burst from Andrew's hands, instantly igniting the room.

For a second, the room was still, as a shocked, horrified silence fell over the room. Not even a minute later, the fire alarms went off, and everyone started screaming and running towards the exits.

"NO! NO, PLEASE NOT AGAIN! PLEASE!" Andrew wailed as the flames continued to grow.

He then started panting, and screaming, and curled up in a ball on the floor.

"Andrew!" Eli said, rushing over, "Andrew, look at me! You've got to calm down!"

"FIRE…" Andrew wailed, "THERE'S FIRE EVERYWHERE! IT'S…IT'S GOING TO…!"

Andrew screamed again, and curled himself into a tighter ball. The flames surged yet again, and began incinerating the walls.

"Panicking is just going to make the fire worse! If you calm down, it'll go out!" Eli said.

"Kris, help me out!" Eli called.

Kris rushed over, and grabbed Andrew's shoulders and said, "Andrew, look at me. LOOK AT ME!"

Andrew peeked his head out of his ball, his eyes wide with terror, tears running down his face.

"Repeat after me," Kris said, "I am okay."

"I…I am okay." Andrew said, his voice shaking, still panting.

"No. You have to believe it. Try again." Kris said.

"I…" Andrew said, turning to look at the burning room, his breath speeding up even faster.

"No, no." Eli said, grabbing Andrew's chin, and pulling his head towards his face, "Ignore the fire. Focus on us, okay? Now, repeat after me. I am okay."

"I am okay." Andrew said, somewhat shakily.

"You have to believe it, Andrew!" Kris said.

"I am okay." Andrew said solidly.

"I am in control." Eli said.

"I am in control."

"This fire is in my control."

"T-this…f-fire is-!" Andrew stumbled.

"Andrew. Believe it. It is in your control." Kris soothed.

Andrew took a deep breath and said, "This fire is in my control."

Sure enough, the fire started to recede, and put itself out.

"I-I'm doing it!" Andrew said, surprised.

"You sure are!" Kris said.

"Okay, now let's take some deep breaths, all right?" Eli asked.

Andrew nodded, and closed his eyes.

"Now, breathe in," Eli said.

Andrew took a deep, long inhale.

"And, breathe out." Eli said.

Andrew sighed slowly, and the fire put itself out more.

"And in." Eli said.

Andrew once again took a deep breath in, and the flames grew smaller.

"And out." Eli said.

Andrew sighed, and the fire extinguished itself.

"Okay," Kris said, "You can open your eyes, now Andrew. The fire's out."

Andrew stood up and opened his eyes, and then tears quickly formed in them once he saw the shocked, horrified looks on everyone's faces.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-!" Andrew sniffled.

"It's not your fault." Eli soothed.

"Yes, it is! This is entirely my fault! It's my fault for not being able to control my curse! I could've killed someone!" Andrew snapped.

"I could've killed someone…" Andrew whispered.

He then turned and ran out the room, sobbing.

"ANDREW!" Eli called after him.

Eli turned to Kris, scowling, and said, "I hope your happy with yourself, Kris."

"I was just trying to stand up for myself!" Kris protested.

"Well, you did it in a rude way, and look what happened! You started a fight that made Andrew go off! If you and I hadn't been there, he could've burnt down the entire school!" Eli snapped.

"I…I was just…" Kris said, hanging her head.

Eli's frown softened, and he sighed and said, "I know you don't like it when people say mean things, Kris. Especially if it's because they don't really understand you and the lifestyle you've chosen. But you need to learn to control your temper when these things happen, okay?"

Kris lifted her head and nodded.

"Let's go talk to Andrew. He's going to need our help to cheer up."

Eli nodded, and they ran out of the room to find Andrew.

"…That's…really bizarre. How on earth did Andrew wind up with fire powers?" Ben finally said.

"What do you mean?" Mal asked.

"Up until now, no one in Arendalle had special powers except for Queen Elsa. I expected her son to have ice powers, too, of course, but Andrew…Neither Princess Anna nor her husband Kristoff can wield fire like he does. So…how did two people with no traces of such power have a son that can do…this?" Ben said, gesturing around the room.

"…I don't know…" Mal said.

Mal turned to ask her friends, but their facial expressions told her they were just as mystified as she was.

"Oh, no." Ben said suddenly.

"What? What's wrong?!" Mal said.

"My order…those new kids from The Isle of the Lost…Andrew's fire powers…too late to cancel it!" Ben mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" Evie said.

"Is everything okay, Ben?" Mal asked, worried.

"I…I need some time to think. Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Freddie, I'm going to need to talk to you guys tomorrow, okay? Ben asked.

"All right…" Carlos said.

"You sure you're all right, Ben? You look like you're about to be sick!" Freddie noted.

"I'm fine, really. When everyone comes back in, can you guys tell that until the cafeteria's fixed, we'll be having our meals on the back lawn, okay?" Ben asked.

"Sure." Mal said.

"Thanks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some time alone." Ben said.

He turned and left, leaving everyone to wonder what he was so upset about.


	3. The New VKs

The Beginning of Ben's Reign Chapter 3: The New VKs.

Mal and her friends didn't see Ben until breakfast that day. Things were already awkward enough that morning.

Everyone was in shock over the sudden fire that had broken out because of Andrew's powers, and Andrew himself kept hanging his head in shame, while Eli whispered into his ear, trying to cheer him up. And Audrey and Kris kept shooting dirty looks at each other whenever they made eye contact.

"Mal," Ben said, coming up behind her.

Mal turned and grinned, and but then her smile faltered when she saw how nervous Ben looked.

"What's wrong?" Mal asked.

"I need to talk to you. You too, Freddie and Evie. I need to speak with Jay and Carlos, too, but I have no idea where they are." Ben said.

"Last I saw, they were sitting over by the pond. I'll go get them." Evie said, rising from the picnic blanket.

"Great. When you're done, can you meet me in the back garden?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, sure. I'll meet you there." Evie said, turning and walking away.

"Mal, Freddie, can you come with me?" Ben asked.

"Sure." They both said, frowning at each other, wondering what was wrong.

"So, what is this about, Ben?" Mal asked.

"I'll explain when Evie, Jay, and Carlos get here." Ben said.

A few minutes later, Evie arrived with Jay and Carlos on her heels.

"Hey, guys. Please, take a seat." Ben said.

The three of them obliged, and Ben said, "So, about what happened yesterday-!"

"You mean how Andrew caught the lunch room on fire because Audrey and Kris fighting pushed him over the edge?" Freddie asked.

"No. This is about what I rambling about yesterday before I left." Ben said.

"Yeah, what was that about? Some kind of order that was too late to cancel?" Jay asked.

"Right. The reason I got upset about that is I recently ordered four new villain kids to transfer to Auradon Prep from the Isle of the Lost." Ben said.

"Whoa!" Mal said, surprised, "Okay, then."

"I'm starting to wonder if it was such a good idea, now, though, since we're already having problems with Kris's attitude, and Andrew's fire powers. Adding new villain kids will probably make things worse." Ben said.

"Ben, you couldn't have known the Arendalle kids would be like this!" Mal said.

"I know, I'm just…concerned." Ben said absentmindedly.

Ben shook his head, and said, "The reason I asked you all to come here was because I thought you might know them, and can tell me more about them."

"We know _all_ the VKs." Freddie said.

"Who are their parents?" Evie asked.

"Let's see…Clayton." Ben said.

 _Claire..._ Mal thought, _Hard, but might not be impossible._

"Frollo," Ben continued.

 _Frances…That might be difficult._

"The Queen of Hearts," Ben said.

Evie flinched, and Mal thought, _Oh God, Harley! Please let the last one be one who isn't so bad!_

"And Hades." Ben finished.

Mal felt her whole body go stiff. _Hayden…_

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Freddie said, "Let me get this straight. You're bringing Claire, Frances, Hayden, and Harley to Auradon?!"

"Yeah?" Ben asked.

The VKs groaned and Carlos exclaimed, "Are you nuts?! That's a recipe for disaster!"

"Are they really that bad?" Ben asked, concerned.

"You have no idea." Jay said.

"Can, um, you tell me a bit about them?" Ben asked.

"Claire's a huntress, like her dad." Mal said, "But since there's no guns allowed on The Isle, she uses a slingshot. She's also a _huge_ egomaniac."

"She's also cruel, and abusive, and despises animals." Evie said.

"So, keep her away from animals?" Ben asked.

"And high places. She's acrophobic." Freddie said.

"Got it." Ben said, writing notes on a notepad, "What about Frances?"

"Frances is a lot like her father." Carlos said, "Stuck up, vain, and manipulative."

"She's also been known to lie if it means getting her way, so you have to be careful around her." Jay said.

"And Harley?" Ben asked, after writing down their comments.

"Harley's a _huge_ problem with his temper. Whenever he doesn't get his way, he acts like a spoiled brat and throws a hissyfit. He's even gotten into fights because of his exploding temper. Especially with Hayden." Freddie said.

"So, he doesn't like Hayden?" Ben asked.

"It's more of like a love-hate relationship. They both get along well for the most part. The problem is, they both have massive temper issues. They're like bombs. When one of them goes off, so does the other, and then all hell breaks loose." Mal said.

"Harley also has a crush on me." Evie said uncomfortably.

"Did you ever like him?" Ben asked.

"No," Evie said, "It was always a one-sided relationship. Still, he's relentless."

"Okay." Ben said, writing that down, "And what do I need to know about Hayden, besides his temper issue?"

"He has magic." Jay said, "He got it from his father. He uses it for evil. At least, he tries to, since magic on is forbidden on The Isle of The Lost. But when he comes to Auradon, he'll become more powerful."

"He's also a huge drama king. And my ex-boyfriend." Mal said.

"Your ex-boyfriend? You told me once that you didn't know what love felt like." Ben said.

"It was fake love. I thought it was real, but then he betrayed me, so I hardened my heart against love. That's part of why I had trouble falling for you at first." Mal confessed.

"Ah. Okay." Ben said, writing it down, "Is it possible he still has feelings for you?"

"I…I don't know. Hayden's always been unpredictable." Mal said.

"Hmm." Ben said, looking concerned, "Have you ever seen any good inside of them?"

The VKs thought, and Evie said, "Frances is super protective of her friends. And a few times, when his mom wasn't looking, I saw Harley be generous."

"What about Claire and Hayden?" Ben asked.

"Claire welcomes change easily, and Hayden's funny and humbler than his father. He tries to hide it, though." Carlos said.

"One more question." Ben said, "How did you guys learn to embrace the good inside you? So I can know how to help the new kids find the good in them."

"Well, your faith and hope that we were good at heart sure helped a lot, right, guys?" Mal asked.

Evie, Jay and Carlos nodded, but Freddie shrugged and said, "I never really got to hang out with you much. I think for me, it was more of the support from some of the AKs and Mal and her friends."

"And we also found something we enjoyed, and made friends that were good. That helped a lot! Like, Mal and I became friends with Lonnie and Jane, and I discovered how smart am I, and that I don't have to pretend to be an air-head to get a guy!" Evie said.

"And I found that I'm a dog person, and made friends with my teammates!" Carlos said.

"I discovered that I'm really good at tourney! And Mal here found that she likes using magic for good, and had a certain someone steal her heart." Jay said, wiggling his eyebrows at Mal and Ben.

"Shut up!" Mal said, playfully hitting Jay on the arm.

Ben chuckled, finished his notes, and said, "All right, then. Thanks for the input guys. I'll see what I can do with this information. Hopefully I can come with a plan to keep the new villain kids from causing too much trouble, and maybe it can help them find the good inside their hearts."

Everyone rose to their feet, and Ben walked back to his breakfast. Suddenly, Mal gasped and said, "Ben, wait!"

She ran, and then put her hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"You forgot to tell us when the new VKs are coming." Mal reminded him.

"Oh, right!" Ben said, "They should be here in about two days!"

Ben suddenly looked uncomfortable, and said, "I just wish I could stop it."

Mal suddenly lunged at Ben, and pulled him into a hug. Ben took a step back, stunned for a second, and then hugged Mal back.

"It's going to be okay. This will work out, you'll see." Mal mumbled in his ear.

"I hope you're right." Ben murmured.

"Hey," Mal said, pulling out of the hug and putting her hands on his shoulders, "Don't say that. Things _will_ work out. I promise."

Ben nodded, his confident smile returning to his face.

"Thanks, Mal." Ben said.

"That's what I'm here for!" Mal said.

Mal walked back to her friend's picnic blanket, and sat down between Evie and Freddie.

"So, what did Ben want to talk to you guys about?" Audrey asked.

"Uh…Well…"

Mal looked at Freddie and Evie uncertainly, and they nodded reassuringly.

"Ben's bringing more VKs to Auradon Prep." Mal said.

"Oh, really? It feels like it's so soon!" Lonnie said.

"Mal and I came here 3 months ago, and Freddie enrolled 2 months ago." Evie said.

"Good point." Lonnie said, shrugging.

"Do you know them?" Jane asked.

"Yeah. There's Claire-Clayton's daughter, Frances-daughter of Frollo-." Mal said.

Mal took a breath and continued, "Hayden-son of Hades, and…"

Mal faltered, looking at Ally, knowing the last name would rock her world.

"And who?" Ally asked.

"Is it someone really bad?" Jordan asked.

"Kind of. But that's not what I'm worried about. One of the new VKs…is the son of one of your parent's sworn enemies." Mal said hesitantly.

"Shan Yu?" Lonnie asked fearfully.

"No." Mal said.

"One of the Ugly Stepsisters?" Jane asked.

"No." Evie said.

"The Queen of Hearts?" Ally mumbled nervously.

Mal bowed her head and said, "Yeah."

Ally looked stunned, and said, "Wha-What?"

"Harley, son of the Queen of Hearts is coming with them." Freddie said.

Ally turned white as a sheet, and stammered, "The…The son of The…The Queen of Hearts…is coming…here…to Auradon?"

"Afraid so." Freddie said.

Ally's eyes rolled up in her head, and she fainted on to the grass.

"Oh my, god, Ally!" Lonnie cried, rushing over to help her.

"Is she okay?" Evie asked, running over.

"Well, how would you feel if you were her?" Jordan asked.

Mal turned to Audrey and said, "Be honest. Did you react like this when you found out I was coming to Auradon?"

"I didn't faint, but I had to lie down for a while." Audrey said.

"Is everything okay?" Ben said, rushing over, "What's going on?"

"Ally found out that the son of The Queen of Hearts is coming to Auradon Prep. This is how she reacted." Lonnie said.

The color started returning to Ally's face, and she slowly started to sit up.

"Is it true?" Ally asked Ben weakly, "Is the son of The Queen of Hearts coming to Auradon Prep?"

"Yes." Ben said hesitantly.

Ally groaned, and said, "Oh no! What if he decides he wants to decapitate me?!"

"How would he do that?" Mal asked, "He doesn't have any power, especially here in Auradon. So, he won't be able to order anyone to kill you."

"Also, there's no weapons allowed on The Isle of the Lost, so he won't be able to hurt you!" Evie said.

"…Thanks guys." Ally said after thinking it over.

"No problem." Mal said.

"Anyway, you are not going to believe what happened in my Safety Rules for the Internet class today!" Evie said.

For the next few days, the girls laughed and chatted and hung out in between classes, forgetting about the fact that new VKs would be arriving.

It wasn't until Mal was in bed for the night that she remembered that they would be arriving the next day.

 _Oh, god!_ Mal thought, _Please don't let Hayden still have feelings for me._

As Mal was waiting on the front lawn for the new villain kids to arrive, she felt her heart pounding in her chest at a million miles an hour.

Her mind kept racing, pulling up painful memories of Harley, Claire, and Frances. And especially Hayden.

She kept shaking her head, trying to clear her head, but the memories just kept flooding back.

"You okay, Mal?" Ben asked.

"I'm fine. I just...can't stop thinking about my memories of the new VKs." Mal said.

"Hey." Ben said, "You're the one who told me that everything would be okay. Now it's my turn to tell you. Everything's going to be fine, Mal."

Mal nodded and said, "How long until they get here?"

Ben checked his watch and said, "Two minutes."

"'Kay." Mal said, trying to keep her composure.

She suddenly heard the pages of her magic spell book being turned, and an awed voice whisper, "Wow."

Mal turned to see a girl with long black hair and blue eyes holding her book close to her face, pouring over the pages.

"Hey!" Mal cried, snatching her book away, "That's mine!"

The girl looked startled and said, "I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to do anything bad to it, I swear! I just thought it looked cool and had to check it out!"

"Melody, I thought you were over this." Ben said.

Melody shrugged and said, "I can't help it, Ben. I'm curious by nature. My parents say I got it from my mom."

"Wait, hold on. You're Melody? Daughter of Ariel and Prince Eric?" Mal asked.

Melody nodded and said, "I'm sorry if I made it seem like I was stealing your stuff. It's just, I've always found magic fascinating. It makes me wish I was born with it."

"You don't have magic? But I thought you got it from your grandfather, King Triton." Mal said.

Melody giggled and said, "Nope. I don't have a drop of magic in my veins. Unless having an amazing singing voice counts as magic."

"Ah." Mal said.

Melody grinned, but then her face fell, and she said, "Are you guys okay? You look as anxious as Flounder!"

"Just nervous about the arrival of the villain kids." Mal said.

Melody's face darkened, and she said "I can't blame you. I'm just glad that Ursula's child isn't coming."

"You mean Uma?" Mal asked.

"Is that her name? Does she have tentacles? Or magic?" Melody asked, getting a bit panicked.

"Uh…" Mal said, "Maybe we should drop the topic of Ursula and her offspring."

"Good idea, Mal." Ben said, "So, have you found anything interesting lately, Melody?"

"Oh, my goodness, yes!" Melody said, pulling out an orange bag, and then digging through it.

"LOOK!" Melody said, pulling out a small box.

"What is that?" Mal asked.

"A music box! And it still works!" Melody said, winding up the switch on the back.

She opened the box, and it began playing music while a figurine of a man and a woman dancing together spun around in a circle. The dancers stopped when the music did, and Melody closed the box and put it in her bag.

"Wow." Mal said, "That was pretty."

Melody nodded her head vigorously, and said, "I'm trying to figure out what song it plays, but I've never heard anything like it! Do either of you know what it's called?"

"I'm afraid not." Ben said.

"No idea. We don't have music boxes on the Isle of the Lost." Mal said.

Melody looked stunned. "You don't?!"

"Nope." Mal said.

"H-how do you not have music boxes on The Isle! They're one of the best things in the world!" Melody cried.

"I guess they're seen as too 'good', and none of the villains want them." Mal said.

"Still-!"

Melody's protest got cut off at the sound of a car horn, and a black limousine pulled into the front lawn, with shouting noises coming from the inside.

"Looks like our new transfer students are here." Ben said

Mal nodded and thought, _Here we go…_

The driver opened the door, and a girl with straight black hair tied in a low ponytail stepped out. She wore a tan hunting jacket over a black shirt, a red bandanna knotted around her neck, a brown messenger bag, and belt with a loop in it for her slingshot, camouflage shorts, and brown boots. She appeared to be in a huge argument with someone else.

"Just because you're technically a prince doesn't mean you have the right to boss us around!" she shrieked.

A dark-haired boy with red streaks stepped out next, his face red with fury. He wore a red shirt with a long black vest over it and a yellow and white collar. His pants were in an alternating pattern of yellow and black stripes, and his boots were black with a gold heart design stitched in them.

"Well, sorry for trying to use my intelligence for our benefit! Maybe you should start listening to what I say! And besides that, I am a prince! You all aren't! Therefore, _I_ hold all the power in this group!" he yelled.

"Oh, please." Another girl said, stepping out of the car. She had short light brown hair with a small triangular shaped hat with a red feather sticking out of it on her head, and was wearing a purple blouse with a red and black striped collar, a black skirt, rings, and black high heeled boots. She might've been pretty, but her hair, outfit, and sneer ruined the image.

"Since when have you done something royal? Face it, Harley. You have no power, and neither does your mom. You're on the same level as us." she snapped.

"Says the girl who walks around like she's a goddess!" Harley snapped.

A fourth passenger got out of the car, and though he didn't say anything, he looked furious. His light blue hair was shaped was molded into a mohawk, and he wore a gray t-shirt with a skull on it, a black denim vest with ripped sleeves, black ripped jeans, and combat boots.

"Well, why shouldn't I! I'm easily the wickedest of the four of us! People _cower_ when they see me walking around town," the girl in the black skirt said.

"You both suck! Obviously, I'm the most wicked. _I'm_ a huntress!" the black-haired girl said.

The three of them started screaming at each other, and the blue-haired boy looked like he was seconds away from snapping.

"SHUT UP!" he roared, and suddenly, the other three villain kids were lifted into the air.

The Auradon kids yelped and stepped back, scared.

"All three of you!" the blue-haired guy said holding them in the air, "We're a _gang_ , guys! That means we're all the same amount of evil, and we do crime _together_! Our have you all forgotten our pact?"

"But they-!"the black-haired girl protested.

"Hey!" the magician boy said, turning to her, his eyes starting to glow blue, "Don't test me, Claire."

Claire shut up, frightened by the boy's magic, and he said, "Look, I know you guys are pissed about being forced to come here. I am too. But that's no reason us to suddenly lash out at each other. So, get a grip, move on, and let's get our first day over with!"

The other 3 villain kids looked like the wanted to argue, but the blue-haired guy said, "Remember our promise, guys."

The other VKs suddenly looked fearful, and Harley said, "Alright. Claire, Fran, I'm sorry I tried to tell you what to do."

"I'm sorry I snapped at you guys." Claire said.

"And I'm sorry I got mad too. We stick together until the end." The girl with the black skirt said.

The other VKs nodded, and the magic boy said, " _Thank you_." The other 3 villain kids were gently set on the ground.

Ben cleared his throat, and said, "Welcome to Auradon, guys. It's nice to meet you all. I'm Ben. And I'm sure you all know Mal."

"Sure do," the blue-haired boy said, sauntering over to her, "Hey, Mal. Long time no see."

"Hayden." Mal said coldly.

"Oh, don't be like that!" Hayden chided, "You and I used to have so much fun together! Robbing stores, stealing goods, terrorizing little kids, knocking down anyone who got in our way. Those were the good old days. Don't you remember?"

"I do." Mal said flatly, "I also remember that you broke my heart and let me get beaten by Uma's pirate gang without lifting a finger to help me. I was stuck in bed for weeks because of you! And also, I'm not in to doing evil anymore."

Hayden snorted and stepped back. "Wow. They've brainwashed you beyond belief. The Mal I knew would've been happy loot this place and watch it burn to the ground! What on Earth did they do to you?!"

"I take it that you're Hayden, son of Hades?" Ben asked.

"Yes, I am, _your majesty_." Hayden said, giving a mock bow.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Ben said, trying to keep his patience. Ben offered his hand out to shake, and Hayden took it, shaking.

Suddenly, Hayden caught his hand on fire, and Ben's started burning. He pulled away screaming, but Hayden seemed unaffected. The fire on his hand went out, and he stepped back and laughed along with his friends.

"Ben!" Mal cried.

Melody fumbled around in her bag until she found a bottle full of water, and dumped its contents on Ben's hand.

"Thanks Melody," Ben said, panting.

"Why would you do that?!" Ben cried, turning to Hayden.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Hayden chuckled, "Did you not know that I'm a fire wielder?"

"That was awesome!" Claire said.

"Your dad would be proud of that trick." Harley said, nudging Hayden playfully.

"He's actually the one who taught me that trick." Hayden admitted.

"You could've hurt him! Badly!" Melody cried.

"And?" Harley asked.

"You don't respect your own king?!" Melody asked.

"None of the evil VKs respect the royal family." Mal said awkwardly.

"Why should we? His parents banned ours to The Isle of the Lost with no way out, no magic, not even Wi-fi!" Claire cried.

"Your parents are evil!" Melody said.

"So, what?!" Hayden yelled, "That doesn't excuse them to treat us and our parents inhumanely! Do you have any idea what life on The Isle of The Lost is like?!"

"Guys, guys. Let's just all calm down and help our new students get settled in, okay?" Ben suggested.

"Yes, _please_ ," the girl in the black skirt said, "I've been stuffed inside a car for far too long, and I have a headache from looking at all this bizarre stuff. Show me to my dorm right away."

"Excuse me?!" Melody asked, "That's no way to talk to us! Who do you think you are?!"

"Frances. Daughter of Judge Claude Frollo. And now if you would be so kind as to show me to my dorm before a sunburn blemishes my beautiful skin!" she said haughtily.

"Maybe I will if you ask _politely._ Or did your father not teach you basic manners?" Melody snapped.

"Manners? Ha! Sorry to disappoint you, but villains don't _do_ manners." Hayden said.

"Well that's too bad, because I'm not moving a _centimeter_ until you ask us _politely_ to take you into the Auradon Prep campus!"

"Feisty." Claire said, "Someone inherited her mom's temper! Hate to admit it, but I like your spirit, kid!"

"We're still not backing down though." Harley said.

"I'm afraid we're not either." Ben said.

The VKs shrugged and both groups stood there not moving a muscle, for what felt like an eternity.

"Pardon me, your majesty, but don't you have royal duties to get back to?" Hayden said.

"Yeah. But I'll get back to them as soon as you ask us politely to let you in." Ben said.

"Or I could force you to let us in." Hayden said, his eyes glowing blue.

"You wouldn't dare!" Melody snapped.

"Try me." Hayden said.

"Oh, he won't." Mal said defiantly, "Did you forget that I have magic too, Hayden? If you try to use magic on us, I'll make you get bitten back!"

"Ha! You're too soft to use your magic to hurt me anymore!" Hayden sneered.

"How do you know that?" Mal challenged.

"Because why would the king date someone who'd use magic for evil?" Hayden said.

"It wouldn't be using magic for evil if it was to defend myself and my friends." Mal snapped, "And you know as well as I do which of us is the better magician, Hayden. So, if you think you can take me, dream on!"

"That's my girl!" Ben mumbled, grinning. Mal almost cracked a smile but held her ground.

Frances started making growling noises, and huffed and said, "Alright! I give up! Can you please let us in and show us our dorms?"

"Yes, thank you, Frances." Ben said, turning and walking in towards the castle, cradling his burned hand.

"Okay, first thing to know about me-I go by Fran. Not Frances, not Frannie, Fran. Don't call me anything else!" Fran snapped as the rest of the group followed Ben in.

Mal noticed Ben take a silent deep breath, trying to control his temper.

"Okay, then, Fran. Would you guys like a tour of the school?" Ben asked.

"Hell yeah!" Hayden said.

Mal frowned and asked, "Why do want to tour the school so badly?"

"To help us get our bearings. This place is a lot different than The Isle of The Lost." Fran said.

Mal's frown deepened. _They're hiding something._

As soon as they stepped in the Auradon Prep campus, the group was automatically confronted by the other VKs and their friends.

"Welcome to Auradon Prep!" Audrey said, faking a friendly smile.

"Well, well. Looky what we have here," Claire said, "Our first frilly, bubble-headed, pampered princess, guys!"

"Hey!" Audrey cried, "For the record, I happen to be the daughter of Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora!"

"Oh, really?" Hayden said eyeing Mal, "You two must get along real well!"

"For the most part, we do." Mal said.

"Really?" Hayden ask, his eyes widening with surprise, "Another example of the fine Auradon brainwashing!"

"We were not brainwashed!" Evie cried.

"Evie, Jay, Carlos. You look real well. A little too well, for my tastes." Fran said.

"Wait, is that Freddie?" Claire asked, "I'd been wondering where you disappeared to. Your father's missing his little voodoo assistant-prodigy."

"Tell him I've found a better life here in Auradon than I ever would've if I'd stayed with him." Freddie said coldly.

"Looks like living in Auradon's gotten to her too," Harley said. He then spotted nervous-looking Ally and said, "Hey, look guys, someone's scared of us already!"

"No, I'm not!" Ally cried, shaking.

"Then why are you trembling like a leaf and as white as Snow White's skin?" Hayden asked.

"Because…because…" Ally stammered.

"Thought so. Little scaredy cat, aren't you? What's your name?" Claire said.

"Ally. Daughter of Alice in Wonderland." Ally said.

"Alice in Wonderland, huh? In that case, OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!" Harley roared.

"NO!" Ally cried, cowering behind Lonnie, "NO, PLEASE!"

Harley and his friends started laughing hysterically, "You're as gullible as your mother! I guess the poison apple really doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?!"

"Well-well you're just as horrible as your mother, son of The Queen of Hearts!" Ally said, peeking out from behind Lonnie.

"Aw, thanks! Where I come from, that's a compliment!" Harley said cruelly.

"Let's just get on with the tour, shall we?" Ben suggested.

"Can we wait a bit? I'm actually quite enjoying myself!" Harley said, smirking at Ally.

"Guys," Ben in his authoritarian voice, "You are really testing my patience. Come with me, _now_ , and stop harassing Ally."

"Or what?" Hayden asked.

"Or I'll expel you guys from Auradon Prep and send you back to The Isle." Ben said.

The new VKs growled in annoyance, but agreed, and climbed the stairs with Ben.

" _Thank you_." Ben huffed under his breath.

Mal caught Evie's, Jay's, and Carlos's eyes, and they all nodded, suspicious looks on their faces.

 _They should've been thrilled at the idea of going back to The Isle. And what did Hayden mean when he said they promised something? What could their hidden agenda be?_


	4. The VKs First Night

The Beginning of Ben's Reign Chapter 4-The VK's First Night

"They're hiding something" Mal said sitting with her friends in her room.

They had just finished giving Hayden, Harley, Claire, and Fran a tour of Auradon Prep, and now Ben had gone to the nurse to treat the hand that Hayden had burned, while Mal talked with Evie, Jay, and Carlos.

"Obviously. The idea of going back to The Isle should've thrilled them. I mean, when I first came here, if someone offered to send me back to The Isle, I would've said yes in a heartbeat." Jay said.

"Not to mention that Hayden reminded them of some sort of promise." Mal said.

"When did Hayden say that?" Evie asked.

"When they first arrived here. Fran, Claire, and Harley were having a major argument, but Hayden calmed them down and reminded them of some sort of promise they'd made. They looked fearful, and apologized to each other." Mal said.

"Huh." Evie said thoughtfully.

"Maybe their parents want something from them, and they promised to get it?" Carlos suggested.

"What would they want?" Jay asked.

"The Fairy Godmother's wand." Evie suggested.

"None of their parents have magic." Jay said, frowning.

"The Queen of Hearts, Frollo, and Clayton don't, but Hades does." Mal reminded him, "It's where Hayden gets his powers, remember?"

"Right, sorry." Jay apologized, "Slipped my mind."

"Why would Hades want the wand?" Carlos asked.

"For the same reason Maleficent wanted it." Jay said, "It's the most magically powerful thing in Auradon."

"Not to mention the fact that while Hades is trapped on The Isle, he doesn't have any magic. Getting the wand will give Hades the power he needs to break the barrier and give him his power back." Mal said.

"I think Hades will want more than that." Evie said.

"What makes you think that, E?" Carlos asked.

"We all know how ambitious Hades is. If he wants magical items, he'll want the first and second most powerful ones in Auradon." Evie said hesitantly.

"King Triton's trident?" Carlos asked.

"No. The trident only works for people associated in some way with water. So, the only ones who would can wield it would be Melody, Uma, Princess Ariel and her sisters, King Triton, and Ursula." Mal said.

"And her younger siblings." Jay said.

"Melody has younger siblings?" Carlos asked.

"Yeah. She has a pair of twins younger than her, one boy, one girl. Their names are Aaron and Erica." Jay said.

"Huh." Carlos said, "Didn't know that."

"That explains why when I met Melody earlier, she said she was _one_ of Princess Ariel's and Prince Eric's daughters." Mal said.

"Um, guys," Evie said, "We're supposed to be discussing what Claire, Harley, Hayden, and Fran are planning, remember?"

"Right." Jay said. "So, what's the second most powerful thing in Auradon?"

The four of them thought for a moment, and then Carlos turned pale when he realized the answer.

"Jafar's scepter." Carlos said.

"It can't be. My dad's scepter isn't powerful enough." Jay said, frowning.

"No, he's right." Evie said, "Think about it. Jafar used his staff to cause all kinds of trouble in Agrabah when he worked for The Sultan. He would've taken over the entire kingdom if Aladdin hadn't outsmarted him."

"Not to mention when Zevon showed up and…I…gave him Jafar's scepter," Mal said awkwardly, "He used our birthright jewels to power up. He almost took over the kingdom with it."

"How could you not know how powerful your dad's scepter was?" Carlos asked.

"He…never told me," Jay said, looking irritated, "He muttered about his staff a lot, about how he missed it, and what he would do if he had it again, but he never said how powerful it was."

"We need to tell Ben before-!"

"Tell me what?" Ben asked, entering the room, cutting Carlos off midsentence. His entire right hand was wrapped in gauze.

"Ben!" Evie cried, surprised.

"How's your hand?" Mal asked, concerned.

"It's fine." Ben said sadly, "I've got small first degree burns on my fingertips, and a pretty decent sized second degree on the palm of my hand, but I'll be okay."

"You sure? You sound pretty upset." Jay asked, frowning.

"I just…wish the first introduction had gone differently. I feel like maybe if I'd asserted myself more, the VKs wouldn't have behaved like that." Ben said.

"Ben, you couldn't have known that the VKs would behave like that!" Mal said.

"She's right, Ben. Frankly, I'm a bit shocked too." Jay said.

"We'll just have to try harder to get them to be good now that we know how evil they are." Carlos said.

"Thanks, guys." Ben said, smiling again, "I just…want to make people proud."

"We know." Mal said, putting her hands on his shoulders, "And that's great. But you need to realize that you're still human. It's okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from it and do your best to fix it."

Ben nodded and asked, "So, what do you guys need to tell me?"

Jay, Evie, Carlos, and Mal told Ben about what they thought the new villain kids might be after.

Ben frowned and said, "I'll ask for more security guards to be stationed in the Villain Area of the Natural History Museum where the wand and staff are kept. I hope you guys are wrong about this but-!"

"Ben!"

Doug came running in, panting, a bruise on his cheek, and a streak of lavender paint stuck in his hair.

"What happened?!" Evie cried, jumping to her feet.

"The new villain kids are destroying the dorm that the two girls were assigned to!" Doug said in between gasps.

" _What?!_ " Mal said, all of them on their feet.

They took off, running to the Claire's and Fran's room, only to find an absolute madhouse when they got there.

Fran was spray painting one of the walls with a symbol of her father with his arms open and a flaming background behind him. "LONG LIVE EVIL" was written across his arms.

Claire was spray painting another will with olive green, black, and beige paint to make a camouflage pattern. A symbol of her father was painted on the wall as well, with "LONG LIVE EVIL" written across it.

Hayden had torn off the curtains and wrapped them around himself to make a fake dress, and was mocking some of the Auradon Princesses with it while the others laughed and jeered at him.

And Harley had taken a steel baseball bat, and was smashing the vanity set with it.

"Hey!" Ben cried, "Stop it!"

"Oh, look guys! It's the King of Auradon! How nice of you to show up!" Fran said, sneering.

"What are you doing?!" Audrey cried, pushing through Mal and her friends to see what was going on.

"You told us to make ourselves at home, so we are. This is home to us." Claire smirked, continuing to paint the wall.

"This is _not_ what we meant! Stop it right now, or I'm telling the headmistress!" Ben cried.

"Oh, no. not the headmistress! Anything but that!" Hayden cried mockingly.

The other three villain kids laughed, and continued what they were doing.

Mal pulled out her spellbook, and flipped through the pages until she found the right spell, and chanted,

"Stop in time, and stop in space, I command my opponents-freeze in place!" Mal cried.

Harley, Fran, Claire, and Hayden suddenly became completely still, the exception being their mouths so they could still speak.

" _Really?!_ " Harley cried, looking pissed.

"That's what you get for vandalizing your room!" Evie said.

"We were just having a little fun!" Hayden said.

"This room was so girly and goody-two-shoes when we came in that I nearly puked!" Claire said, "So we decided to change it up a bit."

"And by 'change it up a bit', you mean completely destroying it." Audrey snapped.

"No, see, completely destroying it would be if, say, I was to set the entire room on fire, and watching it burn until it completely disintegrated. We merely decided to give the room a makeover. Learn the difference, please." Hayden said.

"Regardless, stop tearing up Claire's and Fran's dorm, and go to bed. It's past curfew." Ben commanded.

"Sorry. We don't believe in curfews. When you're evil, you don't get to rest. You're always either planning a crime or committing one." Claire sneered.

"You really are quite dense, aren't you? I would've thought by now that you'd known what life on the Isle is like, and how villain kids act, given how you already have five living with you on campus." Fran taunted.

"I'm not unfreezing you until you agree to stop vandalizing the dorm and go to bed." Mal snapped.

"That won't be necessary. I've almost broken the spell on me as is." Hayden said, his eyes glowing blue.

"By all means, try it. I'll be happy to show you what other spells I'm capable of using." Mal warned.

Hayden snarled, but his eyes stopped glowing. Claire huffed and said "Let's just leave it, guys. I think we've done enough. I like the way our room looks now."

Fran sniffed, and said, "I would've like to add some more fancy designs and maybe some posh ornaments, but I suppose this is good enough."

"So, you guys don't need our help anymore?" Hayden asked.

"Nope." Claire said, "We're okay with this."

"Oh, come on!" Harley cried, "I was having so much fun smashing this stupid vanity set! It was really helping me release the anger inside of me from being sent here by our parents!"

"If you have so much energy inside, Harley, why don't you try out for the tourney team?" Ben asked.

"What the heck is tourney?" Harley asked, incredulous.

"It's a sport. You try to score goals and avoid being hit in the kill zone to win against another team. Carlos and I are on the Auradon Prep team." Jay said.

"You have to work as a team, though." Carlos said.

Harley snorted and said, "No, thanks. Sports aren't my thing."

"Sounds cool." Claire said, "I'm in."

"I'm afraid there's no women's team for tourney, Claire. I'm happy to sign you up for cheerleading, though." Ben said.

"Ew." Claire said, disgusted, "Why can't I just play on the boy's team?"

"The rules of tourney forbid it." Ben said sadly.

"Ah." Claire said.

"Hayden, you might like tourney." Jay said.

"We'll see. Can you please unfreeze us now?" Hayden asked.

"Do you promise to stop smashing your dorm?" Mal asked.

"Yes." Claire, Fran, Hayden, and Harley said.

Mal snapped her fingers, and all four of the VKs sighed with relief as they were mobilized again.

"Thanks, Mal." Fran said.

"Please go to your dorms now." Ben said.

"Fine." Harley said, lowering his bat, and walking away. Hayden took of the shredded curtain he was wearing, and followed Harley back to their dorm.

Ben turned to Audrey and asked, "Your dorm with Lonnie is right next to this one, right?"

"Yeah. That's how I discovered all the ruckus that was going on." Audrey said.

"Okay. I'm going to put you two in charge of looking after Fran and Claire. Make sure they don't decide to mess up their dorms again, and stop them from causing trouble. I'm going to do the same for Harley and Hayden's neighbors. Okay?" Ben asked.

Audrey swallowed and said, "We'll…we'll try. But evil villain kids can be sneaky."

"Do your absolute best, Audrey. That's all I ask of you." Ben said.

Audrey nodded, and went into her dorm.

"Are we done now?" Fran asked, "I'm tired. I need sleep."

"Yes," Ben said, exasperated, "You're done. Goodnight."

Claire closed the door, but Mal saw a sneer on Fran's face, and a mischievous glint in Claire's eyes.

Ben clenched his left fist, being careful not to agitate his burned right hand, and then huffed and stomped off to his dorm.

"We should probably be hitting the hay, too." Evie said.

Mal and her friends nodded, said their goodnights, and went back to their dorms. But Mal still felt uneasy.

 _That look in Claire's eyes…I've seen it before. She's found a loophole in a something Ben said!_


	5. Secrets Galore

The Beginning of Ben's Reign Chapter 5: Secrets Galore

"You guys caught that loophole, right?" Hayden asked.

Claire, Harley, Hayden, and Fran were sitting in Claire's and Fran's newly "redecorated" dorm, discussing their plan.

"That depends. What loophole are you talking about?" Fran asked.

"Ben said he was going to have our neighbors watch us, right?" Hayden said.

"Yeah, so?" Harley asked.

"He didn't say anything about magic." Hayden said, smirking.

"That's brilliant!" Harley said.

"And evil!" Fran said.

"Thanks. So, here's what I'm thinking-I know how to make a potion that will put our 'neighbors' into a deep sleep. From there, I'll use my magic to teleport to the Natural History Museum, grab the scepter and the wand, teleport back, and then we can steal a car, and we'll be back home by morning! They won't even know what him them!" Hayden said triumphantly.

"Uh, it sounds to me like you would be the only one _doing_ anything. We work as a team. That means we commit crime together." Claire said.

"Not to mention the fact that the museum is rigged with all kinds of security measures. Alarms, video cameras, flashing lights, access to the nearest police station, I could go on and on." Harley said.

"Well, I was thinking I could use my magic to disable the security systems." Hayden said.

Harley shot to his feet, his face red, "You're the one who said we work as a gang, and that we commit crime together, hypocrite! Ever heard of practicing what you preach?!" he yelled.

"Shh!" Fran hissed, "Harley, they'll hear you!"

"You need to chill out, Har." Claire said.

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" he roared.

"Harley, chill. Out." Hayden said, his eyes glowing.

"I'M NOT SCARED OF YOU!" Harley yelled.

"I'LL MAKE YOU SCARED OF ME IF YOU DON'T SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!" Hayden yelled.

"MAKE ME!" Harley yelled.

Hayden punched Harley in the face, and Harley lunged at Hayden and knocked him to the ground. They started wrestling, and Claire jumped into the pile, trying to pull the boys apart, while Fran yelled at them to stop.

Suddenly, Harley went flying off Hayden and crashed into the wall behind him.

Hayden got up, his eyes glowing with magic, and fists on fire.

He was about to launch a fireball at Harley, and but failed when Claire leaped on to his back and put him in a chokehold.

"GET. OFF!" He croaked.

"Not until you chill out!" Claire snapped.

Harley charged, but got tripped by Fran, who got on top of him and pinned him down.

Hayden looked like he was about to burn Claire, but got gut off when a fireball exploded over their heads.

"THAT IS MORE THAN ENOUGH!" The Fairy Godmother said, marching into the dorm, her face red. She was followed by Mal, Ben, Audrey, Lonnie, and Evie.

"Haven't you people ever heard of beauty sleep?!" Audrey snapped.

"Not now, Audrey." Mal said.

"Never, in all my time here, have I ever MET SOMEONE AS BLANTANTLY DISRESPECTFUL AS YOU FOUR!" The Fairy Godmother cried.

"Well, we're villain kids. What'd you expect?!" Claire asked, climbing off Hayden.

"DON'T TRY TO EXCUSE IT! NOT ONLY WERE YOU CAUSING A RUCKUS, YOU WERE PHYSICALLY BEATING EACH OTHER!" The Fairy Godmother yelled.

"Yes, ma'am." Fran said, suddenly respectful as she helped Harley to his feet.

"You two aren't even supposed to be in here! It's past curfew!" The Fairy Godmother snapped, pointing at Hayden and Harley.

"We know, ma'am." Harley said.

"Why were you guys fighting, then?" Ben asked.

"There was a difference of opinion." Hayden croaked in between coughs.

"Difference of opinion on what?" Ben asked.

"On, uh…" Harley stumbled, looking for a good excuse.

"What Hayden meant to say is that we're under a lot of stress." Fran cut in, "This place is very different from our home, and it's causing a lot of tension inside us. We got together to discuss options on how to reduce our stress, but Hayden and Harley had too much tension boiling over, and it caused them to think irrationally, and they got angry and started fighting. Claire and I were trying to break them up."

"Well, the way you did it is completely unacceptable! So, I am hereby assigning you a week-long detention!" Fairy Godmother said.

"WHAT?!" the four VKs asked.

"You heard me. For the next week, you are not to set a foot outside this building, or any other body part! And I am hereby assigning you to Remedial Goodness Class daily! Clearly, you're going to need it! Am I understood?!" The Fairy Godmother said.

"Yes, ma'am." The four of them grumbled.

"Good. Now, you two, in bed, _immediately_!" The Fairy Godmother said, pointing at Claire and Fran.

"And you two," Fairy Godmother said, pointing at Hayden and Harley, "Off to your dorm, _now_!"

"Yes, ma'am." Harley and Hayden said, walking out of the room as Claire and Fran got into bed.

"Thank you. Goodnight." The Fairy Godmother said as she walked away.

"Thanks for covering up our plan with that lie." Claire whispered when everyone left.

"You're welcome." Fran whispered, "It's what I do best. Although, I wouldn't really call that a plan."

"Me neither." Claire mumbled, "But that was Hayden doing what he did best. Trying to make himself the center of attention."

Fran giggled and murmured, "Yep. That's Hayden in a nutshell."

"By the way, I'm going to need you and Hayden to do something for me tomorrow." Claire mumbled.

"What?" Fran asked, turning in her bed to look at Fran.

"I need Hayden to create one of his voice deepening potions for me, and I'm going to need you to cut my hair." Claire whispered.

"What?! Why?!" Fran whispered hoarsely.

"Ben said only boys can play on the tourney team, right?" Claire asked.

"Yeah, so?" Fran asked.

"So, I can play if I make them think I'm a boy." Claire said.

"Are you sure? What if you end up hating tourney? All that will have been for nothing! And where will you change so no one finds out your secret?" Fran asked.

Claire was silent for a minute, thinking.

"I'll deal with that if, and when that happens. And I'll change in the woods so no one will see me. Will you help me?" Claire whispered.

"What if they get suspicious about you changing in the woods? What name will you go by when your posing as a boy? I don't know, Claire. This sounds too risky." Fran mumbled.

"Well, too bad! I've made up my mind, I want to do this! Will you help me or not?!" Claire whispered.

Fran sighed. "Fine. If you really want to do this, I'll help you as best I can. But I can't speak for Hayden and Harley."

"Okay. We'll discuss this more in the morning." Claire said, "Goodnight, Fran."

"Good night, Claire." Fran mumbled.

"You want to do what?!" Hayden asked.

Fran and Claire were meeting with Harley and Hayden in their dorms to discuss their plans.

"It won't require much from you, Hayden, really. I just need that potion that will deepen my voice so I can play tourney." Claire said.

"Claire, this sounds like a really bad idea. If you get caught, you'll get in big trouble!" Harley said.

"The only trouble I'll get in is getting kicked off the team! And besides, I'm a villain kid. I'm used to being in trouble. It's what I live for!" Claire pleaded.

"Still-!" Hayden cried.

"Guys, I've made up my mind, and I'm not backing down! I am going to pretend to be a boy so I can play tourney! I don't care what happens or what it takes! Are you going to help me or not?!" Claire snapped.

"There's no way for us to talk you out of this, is there?" Harley asked.

"No. If Mulan can impersonate a soldier and save China, then I can become a boy and play tourney with the boys." Claire said defiantly.

"Fine. I'll brew the potion for you. But we're going to have to do it after school so no one catches us." Hayden.

"Okay." Claire said, "Thanks guys."

Hayden nodded, and said, "By the way, I'm sorry about last night. I was being selfish again. And I know it's good for a villain to be selfish, but that doesn't mean I should be selfish around my friends. You guys are more than my friends, you're like family. So, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry for snapping at you." Harley said.

"I'm sorry I put you in a choke hold." Claire said.

"And I'm sorry I pinned you down, Harley. I was just trying to keep you from hurting each other." Fran said.

All four of the VKs smiled, and Hayden said, "So, I came up with a new plan that involves all of working together."

"Okay, spill." Harley said.

"I'll still use my potion to knock out our neighbors so we can sneak out. Most likely, the doors will be locked, so Claire can grab the keys, and escape through the window in her dorm, climb down using the stones in the castle, and open the doors from the outside. From we'll walk to the museum, so we don't attract attention. When we arrive, there will most likely be guards everywhere. Fran, Harley, that'll be your jobs. Harley, you'll disable the security system. Everything from the alarms to the security cameras to the search lights, I want it off. And Fran, if we come across guards, it'll be your job to knock them out." Hayden directed.

"Knock them out? Hayden, you know I'm not much of a fighter!" Fran cried.

"No, I don't mean physically. That would just leave evidence that we broke in. Remember that potion in that perfume bottle that Evie's got? I want you to grab it and bring it with us. Two sprays right in their faces-!" Hayden explained.

"And they'll be out cold!" Fran finished.

"Right! Anyways, once the security guards are out for the count, and the security system's knocked out, grabbing Jafar's scepter should be a piece of cake!" Hayden said.

"What about the Fairy Godmother's wand?" Harley asked.

"That's going to be more difficult. According to the designs I looked at for the museum, the wand is guarded by a different security system-one that's magical, not physical. One touch of the forcefield surrounding it, and it sets off the alarm and alerts the police. We're going to have to think of another way to grab it." Hayden said.

"When are we going to go after the staff?" Claire asked.

"Tonight, around midnight." Hayden said.

"Tonight?!" Claire exclaimed, "The tryouts for the tourney team are tonight!"

"Not to mention the fact that we're all suspended!" Harley said, "They'll be keeping close watch on us."

Hayden cursed under his breath, "I think we can evade the guards, but the tryouts will be a problem since we have to give Claire a makeover."

Hayden huffed, and said, "Fine. I guess we can move it to tomorrow night. But remember, my dad said- we have no more than three weeks to get this done, preferably sooner."

The other three villain kids nodded, and then suddenly a guard came in.

"You four are late to breakfast. What's going on in here?" he asked.

"We were just making sure we were all ready for our first day of school." Fran said.

"Well, you should've done that sooner. Move! Right now!" the guard ordered.

The villain kids rolled their eyes and snarled, but did as they were told.

But secretly, deep down all four of them were both nervous and excited. They finally had a plan to get Jafar's scepter. They were going to show their parents just how evil they were.


	6. Tourney Tryouts

The Beginning of Ben's Reign Chapter 6-Tourney Tryouts

"Are you sure you want to do this, Claire? Once I cut it, it's going to take a long time to grow back." Fran said nervously.

The villain kids had just finished their first day, which had been long and boring. In Remedial Goodness, they'd talked about smiling and had a pop quiz on what to do in a certain situation. The other classes had been more interesting, but still made the villain kids wish they were back home. Now, Hayden was in one of the chemistry labs brewing a voice deepening potion and a sleep potion, Harley was standing watch outside of Claire's and Fran's dorms, and Fran was getting ready to give Claire a haircut so she could fit in with the boy's team.

"I know. But I really want to do this. Besides, you said you'd do whatever you could to help me. So, what are you waiting for?" Claire asked.

"I know, but-!" Fran said.

"Just do it!" Claire snapped.

Fran took a deep breath and said, "Okay, here goes."

Fran grabbed all of Claire's hair in her hand, and then cut it a few inches from her scalp with a pair of scissors she'd gotten from the art room. But the scissors were crooked, so her hair fell to the group and was left with an uneven spot on the back of her head.

Fran gasped and said, "Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry! Here, I can fix it!"

Fran tried trimming away the unevenness, but she ended up cutting it more unevenly because of her nerves.

"AH!" she cried, "Let me try again!"

"If you cut again, I'm going to wind up with a bald spot! Just leave and move on!" Claire growled.

"Okay…" Fran said moving to a new strand.

"Oh, god." Fran mumbled an hour later, "What have I done?!"

Claire's hair was short enough to look like a boy's, but it was choppy and uneven.

"I…I'm so sorry, Claire." Fran mumbled tears forming in her eyes.

"…Can I see?" Claire asked hesitantly.

Fran handed Claire a mirror. She took it, looked at her reflection, gasped, and said, "Ah…Well, at least it looks like a boy's haircut."

"Don't pity me, Claire. Just say it. It looks hideous!" Fran sobbed.

"Uh…I take you guys are done?" Harley asked, knocking on the door.

"Yeah." Fran and Claire said.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Sure!" Claire said.

"NO!" Fran wailed.

Harley opened the door and walked in.

"How'd it-WHOA!" Harley exclaimed, freezing in shock over Claire's haircut, which just made Fran cry harder.

"I mean…that looks great!" Harley said, faking a smile, "It, uh…definitely looks like a boy's style."

"Don't try and spare my feelings, Har! It's disgusting." Fran wailed, "I told you I couldn't do it!"

"Fran, you did your best. That's all I asked of you." Claire said.

"Besides, I imagine we can find a way to make it look better somehow." Harley said.

"How?!" Fran wailed.

"We could go to a beauty salon." Claire suggested.

A knock came from the door, and Hayden stepped in, carrying two beakers and a duffel bag.

"Looks like I came just in-OH MY GOD!" Hayden had to do a double take to take in what had happened to Claire's hair.

Fran was openly weeping at this point, mascara running down her face.

"Wow, it looks fantastic!" Hayden said, faking enthusiasm.

"She doesn't want reassurance." Harley mumbled to Hayden.

"What are we going to do?! Claire can't be seen like this! Everyone will make fun of her, and it'll be all my fault! I'm so sorry, Claire! I'm the worst friend ever!" Fran sobbed.

Hayden thought for a minute, and the snapped his fingers.

"I've got it! I can give you some of my hair gel, and we can turn it into a pixie cut!" Hayden suggested.

"And I could buy you some red dye, and maybe we could dye the tips red, or do some streaks like with mine!" Harley added.

Fran sniffled and said, "Yeah, I guess that could work. What do you think, Claire?"

Claire thought for a minute and said, "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Alright, then. While you're at tourney practice, I'll go buy you some red hair dye!" Harley said.

"We're suspended, remember? We can't leave." Claire said.

"Right. Then I'll sneak out and buy some." Harley said.

"Uh, anyway, I brought you your tourney equipment." Hayden said, giving the duffel bag to Claire, "You should probably change now, and put your helmet on so you can leave."

"Thanks. Would you guys mind leaving so I can change?" Claire asked.

"Sure. Good luck, Claire!" Hayden said as he left.

"I'm going to be going be Barry when I play tourney." Claire said.

"In that case, good luck, 'Barry'." Harley said, winking.

"You'll do great," Fran said, patting Claire on the back as she left.

"Thanks, guys." Claire said.

"Oh, wait, one more thing." Hayden said, coming back into the room.

Hayden handed Claire a beaker filled with a light purple liquid.

"Drink this when you're done. It's the voice deepening potion. It'll last for an hour. But don't raise your voice, or it'll break, okay?" Hayden asked.

Claire nodded. "Thanks for supporting me, guys."

"What are best friends for?" Fran asked.

"You're going to need to hurry. Tryouts start in twenty minutes." Harley said, checking his watch.

Claire's eyes widened with alarm, and she cried, "You all need to leave, then. Out, out, out!"

Hayden, Fran, and Harley bolted out the door, and Claire closed it and locked it behind them.

Ben was doing a mental tally of how many guys were trying out for the tourney team this year. But he was getting rather frustrated. All the guys who seemed to be showing up were last season's players. Not that he disliked them, he just wanted to see fresh guys on the field to keep the team interesting.

"What's up, Ben?" Jay asked, coming over with Carlos.

"Bit frustrated by the fact that we don't have any new players trying out so far." Ben said.

Carlos frowned and asked, "Don't you like us?"

"Of course, I do! I just think that adding new blood to the team makes us more interesting." Ben said.

"Well, looks like someone new just showed up." Jay said.

"Where?" Ben asked

"Over there. See? He's the guy who already has his helmet on." Jay pointed.

Sure enough, a boy Ben had never seen before had entered the field, already wearing his helmet and all his armor.

"Well, he's certainly prepared." Ben said.

"Yeah. If he's afraid of getting hit by the ball, he's not going to have much luck here, though." Jay said.

Coach blew the whistle, and yelled, "Alright boys, huddle up!"

The tourney players gathered around the coach, and he said, "Alright, here's the plan for tryouts. First, we're going to do some warmups to get our muscles warmed up. Now given how all of you are returning players-wait, you're not."

Coach paused and looked at the new boy, who squirmed uncomfortably.

"What's your name, son?" Coach asked.

"Barry," he said, a bit shakily.

"Barry? How come I've never seen you around before?" Coach asked.

"I…I'm new here. I recently transferred from another school. And I don't really stand out much in crowd. Hardly anyone ever notices me. I'm not surprised you didn't." Barry said sadly.

"Ah, okay. Well, you'll fit in perfectly right here. We're all a big family of brothers, aren't we, guys?" Coach asked.

The other guys nodded, and said their agreements.

"Thanks." Barry said, "That's good to hear."

"So, anyway. Warm ups. Ben, would you mind showing Barry here our warm-up exercises?" The Coach asked.

"Sure." Ben said.

"Alright. Let's get started. I want to see sit-ups. Go, go go!" The Coach commanded.

"Yes, sir!" Barry said.

"There's no need to call me sir." Coach said.

"I'm sorry, Coach." Barry said.

"Alright. Now go warm up with Ben." Coach said.

"Yes, Coach." Barry said, walking to were Ben was.

"So, I get to warm up with The King of Auradon, huh?" Barry asked.

"You don't sound very happy about that." Ben said.

"Oh, no, I am!" Barry said, "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way."

"It's fine." Ben said, "So do you want to go first, or should I?

"I'll go first." Barry said quickly.

"…Wow. You're really raring to go, aren't you?" Ben asked.

"Sorry. I just really want to show Coach what I got. Got to make a good impression to get on team, am I right?" Barry, getting into sit-up position.

Ben shrugged, and kneeled on Barry's feet. "I guess you've got a point. But don't be nervous. I was anxious when I first tried out, too. But if you're a good athlete, tourney's a piece of cake once you get a hang of the rules."

"…Thanks. I needed to hear that." Barry said, as he started doing sit-ups.

"Wait, not yet!" Ben said, "You need to wait until Coach says go."

"Okay. So, how do you find time to be captain of the tourney team and rule Auradon, and still have time to date Mal?" Barry asked.

"Ruling Auradon actually takes a lot less time than what people think. I mean, don't get me wrong, I still have to make important decisions about issues regarding the country, but most of the time it's not so time consuming that I don't have time for tourney or being with the people I love." Ben said.

"And…GO!" Coach yelled.

"You love Mal?" Barry asked, incredulous, as he started doing sit-ups.

"Why wouldn't I?" Ben asked, as he began counting Barry's sit-ups. He was moving pacing himself just right, and wasn't slowing down.

"I just didn't think your love was so strong. You've only been dating for like, two months." Barry grunted in between sit-ups.

"Well, it is." Ben said, "That's the amazing thing about love. It comes in all sorts of ways, when you least expect it. I mean, I never imagined myself with a villain kid, but now I think a lot about Mal and I. Love's tricky that way, but it always means well in the end."

"Come on, push it! If you want to make the team again, you've got to work hard!" Coach yelled at a player.

"You okay?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. I just…never thought about love that." Barry said. He was still going strong with his sit-ups.

"Barry-"Coach said, walking over to them. "How many sit-ups have you done?"

"40, Coach." Ben said.

The coach raised his eyebrows in surprise. Well, clearly you are stronger than you look, Barry."

He wrote something down on a notepad and moved to the next group.

"What do you mean, you never thought about love that way?" Ben asked.

"I've never been a romantic relationship." Barry responded.

"Ah. Well, hopefully you'll find a special girl soon." Ben said.

The whistle blew, and the coach yelled, "Switch!"

"Does that mean it's your turn to do sit-ups?" Barry asked.

"Yep." Ben asked, getting off Barry's feet.

"Alright." Barry said, as he got in position.

Barry and Ben continued their warm-ups together, chatting the entire time. Some of the warm-ups seemed familiar to Barry, but others he didn't understand. Ben helped him with the ones he was confused on, and Barry aced all of them.

"Alright. Now, take a quick break," the coach said.

"Thank you, coach." All the boys said as the rushed over to get their water bottles. Only Barry kept his helmet on to get a drink.

 _Wow,_ Claire thought, _I'm worn out. And yet, there's this part of me that feels really energized for some reason…_

"Hey, Barry." Jay said, walking over to Claire.

"Uh, hi." Claire said uncomfortably.

"You realize you can take your helmet off to get a drink, right?" Jay asked.

"Yeah. But I'd prefer not to." Claire said.

"Why not?" Jay asked.

"I just don't want to. Wearing this helmet makes me feel like I'm part of the team. I've never felt that kind of bond, uh, at my old school, so wearing this helmet makes me feel like I'm part of something special." Claire said.

"Ah." Jay said.

"Sorry, did that sound weird?" Claire asked.

"No, no. I get it. I used to feel that way too, living on The Isle of The Lost. But I found a home on this team. You should, too." Jay said.

 _Is that really what being on a team is like?_ Claire thought, _Dad always told me that teammates fend for themselves and try to take all the glory upon them._

Claire shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know how well I'll fit in here. I've never really done something like this."

"Yeah, well, I didn't either when I first came here. Did you come from a small school or something?" Jay asked.

"Yeah." Claire said.

"I'll teach you some rules about tourney, then." Jay said.

Coach blew his whistle and shouted, "Okay, break time's over! Huddle up!"

Jay shrugged and said, "Well, looks like you're going to have to learn hands on. Good luck out there, Barry.

"Uh, yeah, you too." Claire said.

"Alright, boys," the coach said, "This is where the real tryouts begin. You all are going to be playing a mock match of tourney. I'll be separating you all into two teams-one will play offense, the other defense. I'll be watching you all and evaluating your skill to see who's fit for this year's team and who's not. Got it?"

"Yes, Coach!" All the boys said.

"Alright then, when I call your name, and a color, get the color jersey I assign to you. Yellow will play offense, blue will play defense. Ben, yellow."

Ben grabbed a yellow jersey and walked to the one side of the field.

"Chad, blue." Coach said.

Chad put on a blue jersey and moved over to the other side of the field.

"Jay, yellow."

"Carlos, blue."

"Taylor, yellow."

"Sam, blue."

"Barry, yellow."

Claire swallowed her anxiety and grabbed a yellow jersey, and met Ben, Jay, and Taylor at the yellow team's side of the field.

"Hey, Barry. You alright?" Ben asked.

"Nervous." Claire confessed, "I've never played this game. But I really want to make the team."

"Don't be nervous. Just relax and try to have fun. You're going to do great." Ben said.

"How do you know that?" Claire asked.

"Because we were partners during warm-ups. You're a very strong athlete. You'll do great here." Ben said.

"But I don't know the rules!" Claire said.

"Didn't your parents teach you the tourney rules?" Jay asked.

Claire shook her head, "My dad's never been into tourney."

"Who's your father, Barry?" Jay asked.

"Ah-Bashful." Claire lied.

"I didn't know Bashful had a son." Ben said.

"I…uh, I'm kind socially awkward. So, I tend to keep to myself to I don't look like a fool." Claire said.

"Ah, that explains it. Well, Barry-!"

Jay was cut off by the coach's whistle blowing, and him yelling "START!"

"Uh, okay. Just…watch what everyone else is doing, and try not to hurt yourself in the 'Kill Zone', okay?" Jay asked.

" _What?"_ Claire asked, but Jay was already sprinting down the field.

Claire cursed and ran after him, only to find Ben holding the ball on his stick, surrounded by players from the blue team.

"JAY!" he called, and passed the ball to Jay. Jay caught it and continued moving down the field.

 _So, you can't knock the other players out of your way,_ Claire thought as she ran down the field, _you can only pass the ball to someone who isn't surrounded._

"Barry, watch out!" Jay called.

Claire looked around and ducked as a flying projectile almost hit her. Claire looked around and realized that she'd stepped into the 'Kill Zone' Jay had mentioned.

Claire leaped over another projectile, which she learned was a frisbee, ducked under another one, and moved out of the Kill Zone.

Jay, however, wasn't so lucky. One of the frisbees hit his stick, knocking the ball free and sending it flying.

"NO!" Jay cried.

Claire reached for the ball, was shocked when it landed in her stick.

"GO, BARRY!" Jay yelled.

Claire took off down the field, but got blocked by Chad. He hit his stick against hers, trying to knock the ball free.

"Game over." He growled, "Give me the ball."

Claire growled, trying to think of a way to escape. Then an idea came to her mind.

"Give me the ball, shrimp!" Chad said, continuing to hit Claire's stick.

Claire smirked and said, "Okay. Catch!"

Claire threw the ball up into the air, then slid between Chad's legs.

Chad tried to grab the ball but couldn't. Once she was out from under Chad, she grabbed the ball with her stick again and charged down the field.

"What the-HEY!" Chad cried, running after her.

Claire continued running down the field, feeling completely unstoppable.

Carlos tried to block her, but Claire leaped over him and kept going.

Claire stopped when she saw the net, and threw the ball in with all her might. The goalie was caught completely offguard, and Claire easily scored a goal.

The yellow team cheered, and Claire pumped her fist, remembering that she couldn't shout.

The coach blew his whistle and yelled, "Barry! Over here! Now!"

 _Great,_ Claire thought as she jogged over, _I must've done something wrong._

"Yes, Coach?" Claire said.

"Do you know what that was," the coach asked.

"Illegal?" Claire guessed.

"No." Coach said, "That. Was. AMAZING! You, son, have got real talent!"

Claire was silent for a minute, stunned by his praise.

"Uh…Thanks, Coach." Claire said.

"Is this really your first time playing tourney, Barry?" Coach asked.

"Yeah." Claire said, still a bit confused.

"Well, you could've fooled me! How'd you like to play for the Auradon Prep Knights, Barry?" Coach asked.

"I'd love to!" Claire shrieked, her false voice nearly breaking.

"What was that?" Chad asked.

"My, ah, voice broke for a second." Claire said in "Barry's" voice.

"But yes, I'd love to play for Auradon Prep." Claire continued.

"Alright then, shower off, get changed, and I'll see you at practice on Wednesday!" Coach said.

"Okay, thanks, coach!" Claire said, running out of the stadium.

 _That was so much fun!_ Claire thought as she walked back to her dorm, _Who would've thought that being on a team could be so family-like! And Ben seems so nice and accepting!_

Claire paused and shook her head. _What am I thinking? I'm a villain kid. I don't do that whole "family thing". And besides, Ben's parents banished yours and your friends' parents to live in that inhumane dump they call "The Isle of The Lost"._

Claire smirked, _Yeah, I can't wait to see this place burn to ashes. I'm rotten to the core, always._


	7. The Robbery

Chapter 7-The Robbery

"So, tonight's the night, huh?" Claire said as they were getting ready for school the next morning.

"Yeah. I'm can't wait! I just wish our parents were here so they could see what we're about to do!" Fran said excitedly.

"Trust me, we'll tell them all about it once we steal the wand and the scepter! And then we'll get to watch Auradon burn to ashes as our parents take it all for themselves!" Claire said.

"Oh, for sure! I just hope I get to rule a decent section of Auradon once we take over. I'd hate to be stuck watching over farmland. It's actually gorgeous here. And this is just part of the country!" Fran said.

"What are you talking about?" a voice in the doorway said.

Hayden and Harley came walking into the room, each of them holding a jar, and Hayden holding a black bundle.

"Fran, you're not supposed to think this place is nice. This is the home of the people who killed your father. What are their names again?" Hayden asked.

"Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Phoebus." Fran growled.

"Right. Don't you want vengeance on them and their children for letting your father fall to his death into a raging fire from the roof of Notre Dame?!" Hayden said.

"More than anything!" Fran said coldly.

"Good. Remember that. You're evil, Fran. You're cruel, malicious, treacherous, and wicked! Don't forget that! Long live evil!" Hayden said.

Fran took a deep breath and said, "Thanks. I needed that."

"So, anyway, we're going after the staff tonight, right?" Claire asked.

"Yeah. But there's still parts of the plan I'm confused about." Harley said.

"What's that?" Fran asked.

"How are we going to knock out our neighbors and the head security guard all at once without getting caught?" Harley asked.

"I'm glad you asked, Harley." Hayden said, pulling something out of his book bag.

He pulled out a clear potion in several small beakers, and said, "One of us going to need to cause a distraction at dinner time so that the rest of us can sneak the potion into our targets drinks."

"Won't they notice something wrong with their drinks?" Claire asked.

Hayden grinned and said, "That's the beauty of the sleep potion. It's colorless, odorless, and tasteless. By the time they realize something's wrong, it'll be too late to do anything!"

"Excellent." Fran said, smirking.

"Okay, but how are we going to keep in touch with each other while we're off doing our own thing to contribute to the plan? And how will we get avoid getting spotted until we shut off the security systems?" Harley asked.

"Simple. Here." Hayden said as he distributed the black bundles.

The villain kids unwrapped the bundles to find a black hoodie and a walkie talkie in each of them.

"The walkie talkies are how we'll be staying in touch. And the hoodies will conceal our faces until Harley shuts down the security system at the museum. And I'm sure we all have black pants-and for Fran, leggings, and shoes, so we're good to go!" Hayden said.

"Wow, you really have thought of everything, haven't you, Hayden?" Fran asked.

"Hell yeah. I've been waiting for this moment for years. The last thing I want to happen is for us to mess up." Hayden said confidently.

"Sounds like it's settled, then. Tonight, we're going after the staff." Claire said.

"This is going to be epic!" Harley said.

"By the way, Claire. I brought you some hair gel, and Harley brought you some red dye if you still want to do a pixie cut." Hayden suggested.

"Yes, please!" Claire said, sitting down on her bed.

"Okay. Just FYI, the gel will wash out if it's exposed to large amounts of water, such as heavy rain. Be careful." Hayden said.

"I will, thanks." Claire said, as Hayden began doing her hair.

"…And then I was like, 'Well, at least I know how to not sound like a moron when I talk'!" Audrey said.

Mal was sitting with her friends for breakfast, as usual, and they were talking about their classes, which had turned into Audrey complaining about her group members for a project.

Then, out of nowhere, Lonnie's eyes went wide, and she made a sound like she was choking on her tea.

"Lonnie? What's wrong?" Mal asked.

Audrey looked where Lonnie was looking and gasped.

"What on earth did Claire do to her hair?" Audrey cried.

The rest of the group turned and saw Claire's very interesting hairdo. It was choppy and uneven all over the place, and some strands were sticking out or up, and all the tips had been dyed red.

Claire noticed them gaping at her and tauntingly asked, "What's the matter? Never done anything wild with your look?"

She laughed wickedly and walked away, still grinning.

Evie shuddered, and Audrey said, "I know, right? That haircut is just awful."

"I think it's called a pixie cut." Jane said, "It's supposed to look like that, to some degree."

"I didn't shudder because of the hair. It's just…they look awfully happy about something." Evie said.

"Why is it bad that they're happy?" Ally asked.

"They have that look on their faces that says they're planning something evil." Evie said.

Mal looked closely at Hayden, Harley, Fran, and Claire, and saw that Evie was right. The new villain kids were grinning wickedly and trying to do whatever they could to cause trouble.

Fran tripped a girl who was walking to her picnic blanket with her friends, who then fell on to her breakfast, ruining her outfit.

"Why would you do that?!" she cried, "Do you have any idea how expensive this outfit was?!"

"Oh, boo-hoo, your outfit's got egg on it. Go ask your parents to waste more money on you and buy a new one. Or I suppose you could go to the dry cleaners. Oh, wait, that's right, you have no idea what that is!" Fran said, smirking.

Her friends laughed and continued moving to the breakfast table, while her friends counseled her and tried to clean her outfit.

"You're right." Mal said, "What could they be up too?"

"Maybe they're-?"

Evie was cut off by the sound of a boy's startled yelp, and then a large splash.

Mal and her friends turned to see Doug emerging from the lake, completely soaked, his glasses gone.

"Doug!" Evie cried, rushing over to help him. Mal and her friends were close behind her.

"Next we tell you get out of our way, you move, nerd!" Claire sneered.

"I was just trying to get my breakfast!" Doug cried, "Now give me my glasses!"

"You mean these?" Hayden asked, holding up a pair of glasses.

"Yeah. Give them back!" Doug said.

"Sure." Hayden said, handing them back to Doug.

But just as Doug was about to grab it, Hayden threw them to the ground and stomped on them.

"Here you go." Hayden said as he handed back the broken glasses as his friends laughed.

"Those were my only pair!" Doug cried.

"Sucks to be you, then!" Harley said.

"That's enough." Ben growled, as he walked up.

"You four," he said, pointing to the new villain kids, "Apologize to Doug right now and get your breakfasts."

"Or what?" Fran growled.

"Or I'll ask The Fairy Godmother into extend your punishment." Ben said.

Hayden paused, thinking, and then lifted Ben into the air with his magic.

"Sorry." Hayden said, "We say no."

Hayden then used his magic to toss Ben into the lake, while his friends jeered and laughed hysterically.

Ben emerged from the lake, roared, and charged at Hayden. Hayden took an attack stance, and launched a fireball at Ben when he reached the shore. Ben barely managed to get out of the way.

"Evie, help me!" Mal called, grabbing the container of ice water.

"What good will that do?" Audrey asked.

"Hayden's fire powers shut off when he's wet." Evie said, moving away from helping Doug to assist Mal.

"Jay, Carlos!" Mal called, "Stop Ben!"

Jay and Carlos tackled Ben from behind, while Mal and Evie dumped the water on Hayden.

"Argh!" he spluttered as the water fell on him.

Ben knocked Jay and Carlos away, and continued advancing towards Hayden, yelling madly.

"BEN!" Mal stepped in front of him, "STOP!"

Ben heard her plea and halted, the anger in his eyes dying. He looked around, saw the terrified looks on everyone's faces, and looked down, horrified and embarrassed.

Claire, Harley, and Fran started applauding.

"Well done, Ben!" Fran said, "With some more work, you could be a great villain!"

"Maybe we'll let you join our gang!" Harley teased.

Claire laughed and said, "Imagine that! The King of Auradon turns evil! That would be an interesting way to start your reign!"

"Leave him alone!" Mal yelled.

"Guys, stop." Hayden said.

Fran, Claire, and Harley turned towards him, confused, " _What?_ "

"You heard me. We've done enough."

Something odd was in Hayden's eyes, something Mal had never seen before. It seemed impossible, but it almost looked like Hayden was regretting provoking Ben.

Then, it vanished, and Hayden looked hardened and wicked again, "We've got more important matters to discuss."

Harley, Fran, and Claire followed Hayden, smirking and snickering at Ben along the way.

"Feel free and hit us up if you ever want to do something wicked together, Evil King." Fran mumbled.

"FRAN!" Hayden snapped, "I said that's enough!"

Fran walked quickly over to where her friends were sitting, and they began mumbling together about something.

Mal huffed, glad that it was over, until she saw Kris marching over, looking pissed.

"Why on Earth did you invite them here?!" Kris snapped.

"Leave Ben alone, Kris." Evie said.

Kris ignored her and asked, "Are you blind to all the trouble they're causing?! They've broke dozens of rules, vandalized a dorm, hurt people, said terrible things, and committed all kinds of acts of evil, and they've only been here for three days! Why won't you just send them home?!"

"That's enough!" Mal said, as Ben's fists began to clench, his head still down.

"Forgive me for saying this, your majesty." Eli said, bowing to Ben, "But I'm afraid I'd have to agree with Kristina on this issue." 

"I agree. That son of Hades-Hayden, I think?-almost made me lose control and set fire to a chemistry lab. A _chemistry lab!_ " Andrew said.

Ben took a deep breath, and raised his head.

"I'm doing everything I can to try and keep the villain kids under control." Ben said evenly.

"Well, it's not enough! They just threw you and Doug into a lake, for crying out loud!" Kris cried.

"With all due respect, your majesty, I'm beginning to think that villains like that can't be changed." Eli said.

"That's not true!" Evie said, "Mal, Jay, Carlos, and I were once evil, but Ben succeeded in turning us around."

"Were you ever that evil?" Kris asked, turning to the VKs.

"Yeah. We probably would've been just like them if we weren't afraid of being booted back to The Isle without The Fairy Godmother's wand. We _were_ just like them on The Isle of The Lost." Mal said.

Andrew, Eli, and Kris paused for a minute, thinking.

Eventually, Andrew sighed, and said, "I just have this weird feeling that something really bad going to happen soon."

"It won't. We won't let it." Jay said confidently.

The rest of the villain kids nodded, and Mal said, "Don't lose hope on them, okay? I get the feeling that if we keep up the pressure, and try to show them new ways to be good, they'll change for the better."

Kris shrugged and walked back to her picnic blanket, saying, "Alright. If you say so."

"Very well, then. I believe in you." Eli said as he walked away, Andrew close behind him.

"Eli, you're not in Arendalle anymore. You don't have to act so...royal." Evie said.

"I wish you were correct. But I need to represent my family and my kingdom well given my cousins-ah-current issues." Eli said, as he continued walking away.

Mal noticed that Ben was starting to walk away, and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I…I need some time by myself, to think." Ben said, walking towards the castle.

"But what about your breakfast?" Jay asked.

"I already ate. I was heading inside anyways so I could get back to work." Ben said absently.

"Are you feeling okay, man?" Carlos asked.

"I'm fine." Ben said.

"Ben-!" Mal cried.

"I said, I'm fine! I just need some space, okay?!" Ben snapped.

He huffed and stormed inside the building.

 _Something's wrong with him._ Mal thought.

"Something's wrong with Ben." Mal said to Evie when they got back to their dorms.

"Yeah. He seems so…distant. Out of focus." Evie agreed.

"He snapped at me. He's…never done that before. Especially not to me." Mal said miserably, "Did I do something wrong?"

"What?! NO!" Evie said, rushing over to Mal's side, "Mal, I'm sure Ben didn't mean to snap at you. He's probably just stressed. A lot of work goes into being king. He's probably under a lot of pressure to make good decisions regarding the kingdom, and still have time for school, and tourney, and being with the people he cares about! Not to mention dealing with all the drama and chaos the new villain kids and Arendalle kids are causing. Trust me, it has absolutely nothing to do with you!"

"…Thanks Evie." Mal said, smiling.

"That's what I'm here for!" Evie said, pulling her best friend into a hug.

Mal and Evie hugged for a few seconds and then pulled away. Evie looked at her vanity set and frowned.

"What is it?" Mal asked.

"That's weird," Evie said, walking over to the vanity set, "My sleep perfume's missing."

" _What?_ " Mal said, jogging over.

"I put it here this morning," Evie said, pointing at an empty space on the top, "But now it's gone."

"Do you think someone took it?" Mal asked.

"Who would take-?"

Evie face darkened when she realized who would've taken her magic perfume.

"Why would they want it?" Evie asked.

"Do you think they're plotting something?" Mal asked.

"Hmm. They were acting pretty suspiciously at breakfast." Evie said thoughtfully, "But how would they get out? They're under an in-school suspension for fighting."

"I don't know, but we have to stop them." Mal said defiantly.

"How? We all know how sneaky Harley, Claire, Hayden, and Fran are. And now that Hayden's in Auradon, his magic's much more powerful. They could do almost anything!" said Evie.

"I guess we'll have to keep our eyes peeled. And I think I'm more magically powerful than Hayden, so I should be able to take him if he tries anything sneaky." Mal said.

"Okay." Evie said, nodding uncertainty.

"No matter what happens, we can't let them win. Not while they're still evil!" Mal said.

Evie cried, "Right!"

"What's going on?" Jay asked, stepping into the room with Carlos.

Mal and Evie filled them on what had happened, and their suspicions.

"Do you still think they're going to try and go after my dad's scepter and Fairy Godmother's wand?" Jay asked.

"I wouldn't put it past them. I mean, their parents want power, and the only way they can get it is if Hades gets his hands on some seriously powerful magic." Carlos said, "Do you think Hayden will try and use it for himself before giving it to his dad?"

"Gosh, I didn't even consider that! He probably will. You know how he loves magic. Having Jafar's scepter and Fairy Godmother's wand would give him more!" Mal said.

"We should warn Ben!" Evie said.

"Do you think he'll believe us? I mean, we don't have much evidence to prove that the new villain kids are going to do something bad except for our own suspicions." Jay said uncertainty.

"He will! I mean, he trusts us, right?" Mal asked.

"Mal's right. We need to tell Ben. If we're right, we'll have stopped something really bad from happening!" Evie said.

"And if we're wrong?" Carlos asked.

"Then we'll apologize and move on. It's like…what do they say here in Auradon…Better sorry than not safe?" Mal asked.

"I think you mean better safe than sorry." Jay said.

Mal shrugged, "Basically the same thing. C'mon, let's go."

The four friends bolted out the door, desperate to alert Ben and save their new home.

As soon as they were out of sight, the wall next to Evie and Mal's door shimmered as Hayden once again became visible.

 _So, I wasn't just being paranoid when I brewed extra sleep potion last night,_ he thought, _By the looks of things, I'll have just enough to hit Audrey, Lonnie, Ben, Mal, Jay, Evie, Carlos, our neighbors, Fairy Godmother, and the head of security here._

Hayden chuckled darkly and walked away thinking, _while they'll be getting lots of beauty sleep, our parents' plan for world domination will start to unfold. And we'll get to begin the process. Man, I can't wait!_

"So, what's the plan?" Claire whispered as the villain kids entered the outdoor dining area.

Hayden reached into his backpack, pulled out beakers filled with a clear liquid, and distributed them among his friends.

"I'm going to cause a distraction." Hayden explained, "Meanwhile, while everyone's attention is on me, you guys go around and dump these in our target's drinks. When you're done, give me our special signal."

"What kind of distraction are you thinking about causing?" Fran asked.

"I was thinking I can do what I do best-start a fight." Hayden mumbled, "Hercules and Megara's children are here at Auradon Prep, so I was thinking I could antagonize them until you guys have delivered the potions."

"Good idea." Harley said, "Alright, when do we start?"

"Uh, now." Hayden snapped.

"Oh, okay." Harley mumbled.

He, Fran, and Claire ran off, while Hayden sauntered over to a boy and a girl he recognized as the kids of his dad's sworn enemies. And yet, a strange feeling descended on to Hayden as he walked over. Was he feeling…dread?

 _What am I doing?!_ Hayden thought, _I can't feel remorseful about this! Dad would be furious if he saw that this place was getting to me. I'm my dad's successor. I'm malicious, and cruel, and calculating, and most importantly, rotten to the core! Long live evil!_

"Well, well, who'd have thought that the children of Hercules and Megara would go to Auradon Prep!" Hayden sneered.

The fair-haired boy and brown-haired girl turned towards him, looking confused.

"Uh, hi," the boy said, "Is something wrong with our parents?"

"Oh, no, nothing at all. Except for the fact that your stupid father stopped my dad from earning the throne he worked for years to get." Hayden snapped.

The brown-haired girl frowned and said, "So. You're Hades' son?"

Hayden laughed and said, "You seriously couldn't tell? Did the blue hair and fire powers not give you a big enough clue?! Clearly you both inherited your dad's tendency to be an airhead."

"What did you say?" the fair-haired boy asked, getting to his feet.

His sister shot to her feet, and put a hand on her brother's chest.

"Hermie, calm down. He's trying to bait you," she said. She turned to Hayden and asked, "What do want with us?"

"Gee, I don't know, how about an apology for your parents interfering with my father's plan?!" Hayden yelled.

"Why should we have to apologize for something our parents did?!" the girl cried.

"Not to mention the fact that if your dad had had his way, he would've destroyed the world!" Hermie snapped.

"All my dad wanted was a little recognition! You try ruling The Underworld for thousands of years without getting all depressed and sick of your job!" Hayden barked.

"Your dad deserves to be there after unleashing the Titans and nearly overthrowing our grandfather!" the girl snapped.

"Megan, I think that may have been going a bit too far." Hector said, turning to his sister.

"Yeah, _Megan._ I think you of all people should know what going to The Underworld's like. Your mother went there once, remember?! Did she not tell you what a horrible place it is?!" Hayden cried.

"Your dad was the one who sent her there in the first place when he nearly knocked that column on to my dad!" Megan cried, her face turning red.

"Well, to be fair, your mom didn't _have_ to sacrifice herself to save Hercules. She could've easily let him take the injury." Hayden said.

"And if she did, our dad would've died because Hades took his strength away! Our mom sacrificed herself to save Dad, and Olympus!" Hermie cried.

"What's going on here?" Ben asked, running up to the quarreling trio.

"The son of Hades here thought it'd be fun to antagonize us because our parents are his dad's worst enemies!" Hermie cried.

"Yeah, because it's your parents fault that my dad ended up on The Isle of The Lost! Do you have any idea what it's like to grow up in a prison?!" Hayden cried, risking a quick peek over his shoulder. Claire, Harley, and Fran were delivering the potions, but they all looked hesitant, listening to what Hayden was saying.

"Yeah, well, your dad did that to himself! I seem to recall that he tried to MURDER OUR PARENTS!" Megan cried.

"Does that give you the right to treat him inhumanely, or any of the villains on The Isle?! And what about their kids?! Do we deserve to be treated like shit because of what our parents did?! Do you guys honestly wonder why we do evil things?! It's because we have no choice! Between our parents constantly putting pressure on us to follow in their footsteps, and you guys shoving us away because you think we're wicked, it's the only thing we can do to make ourselves happy! So who's the evil ones now, huh?!" Hayden snapped, tears forming in his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friends give the signal, and then walk over, looking hurt.

The students were silent with shock. Even the good VKs were still with surprise at Hayden's outburst.

"Is…is that really how you feel?" Ben asked quietly.

Hayden nodded and bowed his head.

"All of you?" Ben asked.

Harley, Claire, and Fran were silently avoiding Ben's gaze, but everyone could see the pain in their eyes, and hear Fran sniffling. Ben turned his gaze to Mal and her friends, and saw the same looks on their faces. Were those tears in Mal's and Evie's eyes?

"I…I'm so sorry." Ben said, reaching out to pat Hayden on the back.

"Don't touch me!" Hayden snapped, backing away from him, "I don't want your pity! Your parents are the ones who trapped our parents and us on that god-forsaken island in the first place!"

"I'm not my parents any more than you guys are yours! None of us are! I wasn't even alive then!" Ben cried.

"We weren't alive when our parents committed the crimes that got them banished, and we still got trapped on that stupid isle!" Fran said coldly, drying her eyes.

"And why should we accept your pity when you don't even know half of what we went through living on The Isle of Lost?!" Harley snapped.

"Because you're right!" Mal cried, "They don't know! Which means they're not to blame for what happened to us on The Isle! It's not their faults, guys!"

"You just think that because living here has twisted your way of thinking! What would your mother say if she were here?!" Claire barked.

"We don't care what our parents think! They made their choice, and we made ours! That's why we brought you here, to give you the freedom to choose who you want to be! We don't have to be our parents!" Carlos cried.

Hayden opened his mouth to respond, but Fran put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Forget it, Hayden. Let's just get our dinner and go. Remember what my dad said? Never argue with an _idiot_ , people from afar can't tell which one's which."

" _Excuse me?!_ " Audrey asked,

The four villain kids grabbed their food and went back to their spot on the lawn, trying to fight the surge of emotion coursing through their bodies.

"Everyone's out for the count." Claire whispered into her walkie-talkie, after peeking into Mal and Evie's room. The potion had worked so well on them that they'd fallen asleep with the lights on and still in their clothes for the day.

"We're good over here, too." Hayden replied, "Do you have the keys?"

"Yep." Claire said, swinging the key ring around her finger.

"Great. You know what to do." Harley said.

Claire put the walkie talkie in the pocket of her black hoodie, and ran back to the room she shared with Fran.

"Is everyone asleep?" Fran asked.

Claire nodded, and said "Can you get the window for me?"

Fran ran over to the window and opened, the cool night breeze making the curtains flap.

"It's a beautiful night to commit a robbery." Claire said, breathing in the fresh air.

"Don't forget your hood." Fran reminded her.

"Thanks," Claire said as she pulled her hood up and climbed out the window.

"Be careful, Claire!" Fran hissed.

"I'll be fine. I know what I'm doing." Claire whispered as she began climbing down.

Claire carefully climbed down the stone wall, cautiously placing her hands and feet on footholds.

Finally, she reached the bottom of the wall and sighed in relief, then ran to the front doors.

"I'm at the doors." Claire whispered into her walkie talkie.

"Roger that. We'll be right there." Harley replied.

True to Harley's word, he, Hayden, and Fran showed at the front door about a minute later, dressed in black.

Claire fumbled with the keys and lock for a few seconds, cursing under her breath, until the door opened with a satisfying click.

"Nice job, Claire." Hayden said, "Now we just need to find our ride."

"I think I saw a limo over that way." Fran said, pointing east.

"I don't think any of us can drive. Plus, wouldn't a car attract too much attention?" Harley asked.

"Harley's right, a car would be too noticeable. We're going to have to get there on foot." Claire said.

"Not necessarily." Hayden said, smirking.

"What do you mean?" Harley asked.

"I have magic, remember? I could teleport us there." Hayden suggested.

"Wouldn't that use up a lot of your magic before we even got going?" Claire asked.

Hayden shook his head and said, "It's not too far away, so it won't take too much magic to get there, do our thing, and get back. Trust me, we'll be back before anyone notices we're gone."

"Alright," Fran said, taking Hayden's hand, "Let's go."

"What are you doing?" Harley asked.

"We have to hold on to each other in order for teleportation to work. At least, that's what I overheard in a Theory of Dark Magic class in school one day." Fran said, her heart racing for some reason.

"Ugh, seriously? That's so...goody two-shoes." Claire spat.

"Do you want to get to the museum quickly or not?" Hayden snapped, tightly squeezing Fran's hand and making her yelp.

Harley huffed and said, "Fine," taking Hayden's hand.

Claire rolled her eyes but grabbed Harley and Fran's hands.

A flash of blue light appeared, and suddenly the four of them were standing outside the Auradon Museum of Culture.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Hayden asked, putting his hood up and gloves on.

"Ready," everyone said, doing the same.

Harley tried tugging on the doors, but they refused to open, despite his strength.

"Oh, let me do it!" Claire said, pulling a hairpin from her pocket.

"I didn't know you wore hairpins, Claire." Fran noted.

"I don't," Claire said, inserting the pin into the lock, "But I _do_ know how to pick locks."

The door clicked and swung open, and Claire threw the hairpin to Fran.

"Borrowed this from you. You can have it back now." Claire said, smirking.

"Harley, Fran, you're up." Hayden said.

Harley and Fran quietly ran up to the control desk. Fran tapped the guard on the shoulder while Harley started hacking into his PC.

"Hi, excuse me." Fran said with a false sweetness.

The guard turned and looked at her, confused.

"What are you doing here, kid? It's the middle of the night. And why are you dressed in all black?" he asked.

"Oh, I was just at a blackout party. You know, come dressed in all black. And I'm here because I wanted to give you something as a thank you gift for protecting the museum so well. It can't be easy, working so late into the night with almost nothing to do." Fran said with fake sympathy.

"You're darn right it's not! Honestly, this is the most boring job in Auradon. Nothing ever happens at night because robberies don't happen here! Well, except for that one time. But anyway, what do you have to give me?" the guard asked.

Fran pulled out the magic sleep perfume and said, "A nice long nap."

Fran sprayed the bottle in his face twice, and the guard yawned and fell into a deep sleep.

"Did you _have_ to keep the charade going on for so long?" Harley asked, looking up from the computer.

"Hmph!" Fran sneered, "I was trying to catch him off guard so that he wouldn't have a chance to sound the alarm before the potion kicked in or turn around and see you! You're welcome for covering your back, _your Highness_."

"I would've been perfectly capable of defending myself if-!"

"Cool it!" Hayden snapped, entering the room with Claire beside him, "Just focus on your job, Harley. Fran, Claire, you go look for the scepter. I'll cover Harley."

"No need." Harley said, as the security cameras drooped and the monitor screens went black.

"Alright, then." Hayden said, "Guess we'll all go."

Fran, Harley, and Claire nodded and walked alongside Hayden, until Harley suddenly stopped, causing everyone to run into him.

"What's your problem?" Hayden snapped.

Harley walked into the exhibit as if in a trance, and the others followed him, curious.

Harley eventually stopped and the gang finally saw what had spooked him. Towering over him was a life size statue of his mother at the height of her power. The Queen of Hearts was red-faced, both of her fists up in the air with her scepter in one hand, looking like she was in the middle of an order to behead someone.

Harley was a white as sheet and sweating, his eyes wide with terror. His heart was racing as his body ached from the numerous times she had struck him with her club, and he recalled the last thing she'd said to him before coming here.

" _Do not fail me, Harley."_ she'd roared, _"If you come home without that staff and that wand, or if you turn_ good _, I'll track you down and make sure you never see the light of day again! I'll knock your eyes right out your skull and feed them to the hounds, then make you serve me for the rest of your days. And if you fail me again, it's_ _OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!"_

She'd then slapped and said, _"You are an incredibly useless boy and a disgrace to our royal bloodline! I'm glad to be getting rid of you. Maybe for once you'll actually do something to make me proud!_

Fran suddenly yelped as she looked beside Harley and found none other than her own father beside the Queen of Hearts. Judge Claude Frollo was riding his wicked steed Snowball, who was rearing, while the villain himself sneered down at her, looking cold and pompous and disapproving.

The scars on Fran's back stung as she remembered what her Dad had said to her.

" _It's about time those weak-willed pansies called you into their home. Maybe at least you'll be molded into a daughter worthy of me, and that soft heart of yours will finally harden." Frollo had sneered._

" _I...I don't have a soft heart, Father." Fran said, trying to keep her nerve._

" _LIAR!" Frollo cried, whipping her thigh._

 _Fran yelped and Frollo snarled, "I have seen the way you act when you think I'm not looking. Being_ kind _and_ honest! _You are a pathetic little worm!"_

Frollo pulled the whip around her leg and she tried not to scream as the rope tore at her flesh.

She looked down and saw her leg bleeding in multiple places.

" _Good."_ Frollo snarled, " _Remember that blood. If you fail me, I'll make sure so much of it is spilt that you'll never walk again. Now go!"_

Claire found her father right behind Harley, and she trembled. Clayton had his rifle aimed up the air and was snarling, his eyes intense and malicious, ready to take out an entire gorilla tribe.

" _I'll make you proud, Dad, I promise." Claire had said to Clayton, "I'm ready to become the villain you want me to be! I'm good with a slingshot, I'm super athletic, I'm in perfect condition, I'm strong and fast-!"_

" _Bah!" Clayton had barked, cutting her off, "How many times must we discuss this?! There's a difference between being a good hunter and being a good villain. You're not cunning, deceitful, manipulative, and crafty! Not mention, you're a coward!"_

" _I am not! I'm just as ruthless as you!" Claire protested._

" _Don't give me bullshit!" Clayton yelled, kicking her in the side and knocking her to her knees._

" _If you were_ anything _like the daughter I expect you to be, you'd have everyone on this wretched island cowering at the very mention of your name and them waiting on you hand and foot! You're useless.." Clayton snapped, grabbing her arm,_

" _Weak…" he snarled, twisting it,_

" _Pathetic…" he growled, twisting harder and making Claire's eyes water,_

" _And a complete, utter failure!" Clayton finished, twisting her arm more._

" _STOP, you'll break my arm!" Claire moaned, tears running down her face._

" _So what?" her dad yelled._

" _If you break my arm, I won't be able to complete the mission!" Claire cried._

" _Hmph!" Clayton snarled, releasing her._

 _He then stood over her and snarled, "Do. Not. Fail Me. Do you understand?"_

 _Claire nodded, her arm throbbing and body shaking with fear._

Hayden felt conflicted about what to do. A villain would let these kids suffer until the curled up like pill bugs and started sobbing on the floor. But these were his friends. And despite what he said about him being heartless, he couldn't stand seeing his friends suffer.

 _God,_ he thought, _What would Dad say?_

Hayden felt his scars sting as he considered what Hades would say if he were here, but shook it off, remembering their task.

"Guys, c'mon!" Hayden snapped, "We have a job to do!"

"But...but they…" Fran stumbled.

"I know," he said with a gentleness that surprised even him, "Our parents are horrible. And I know their statues remind you of them. See look, there's my Dad."

Hayden turned to the statue of Hades and shuddered, feeling a cold wave of fear wash over him, but he took a deep breath, determined not to snap.

"But...now's our chance to prove ourselves to our parents. Prove that were just as good at evil as them, and prove we're worth respecting. They're too evil to ever love us, but maybe once we succeed where Evie, Carlos, Mal, and Jay failed, they'll treat us just maybe the slightest bit better. Things will get better, alright?"

Fran, Harley, and Claire nodded and walked away from their parents, still looking shaken.

"How did you do it?" Claire asked as they continued searching for Jafar's staff.

"Do what?" Hayden asked.

"How did you not freak out when you saw your Dad's statue?" Claire clarified.

"I almost did," Hayden admitted, "But I remembered the mission and told myself that I was looking at a piece of art. We can't be afraid of what's not real, right?"

"But they are real…" Harley mumbled weakly.

"But they're not here, are they. They can't hurt us in Auradon because of the barrier, remember?" Hayden asked.

His friends nodded, and Claire cried, "There! I see it!"

The four friends raced into the Magical Items gallery and stopped in front of a large glass case where the scepter shone in the moonlight.

"It's beautiful." Fran breathed.

"And really well made." Hayden noted, "You can tell just by looking at it how powerful it is!"

"So, now that we've found it, how do we get it out of here?" Harley asked.

"The alarm's off, remember? We can probably just break the glass and take it." Claire said.

"Won't that alert the guards?" Harley asked.

"I can get us out of here with my magic. Let's just smash the glass and go." Hayden said impatiently.

"Okay, then." Harley said, lifting his bat. He struck the glass several times until it formed a large enough hole to pull the scepter through.

"I hear footsteps!" Fran cried, taking Hayden's hand. Claire grabbed Hayden's other hand and Harley's arm, Harley grabbed Fran's open hand, and suddenly the museum disappeared.

In the blink of an eye, the four of them were standing at the main entrance of the Auradon Prep campus, Jafar's staff in Harley's right hand.

"We did it!" Claire cried, looking amazed and excited.

"So, now what? Where are we going to put this so no one else will find it?" Fran asked.

"Oh, that's easy! I found the perfect place for it! Follow me!" Claire said, running off behind the school.

Harley, Hayden, and Fran ran after her until Claire stopped in the middle of the amphitheater.

"Uh, how are we going to hide something here?" Harley asked.

Claire smirked and knelt down on the amphitheater floor. She pushed a nearby button that looked like a pebble, and one of the tiles opened to reveal a large hole.

"The amphitheater has a trap door?" Fran asked.

Claire nodded and said, "I found it one day when I accidentally stepped on the button. No one will think to look for it here since it's camouflaged so well."

"Sounds good to me." Harley said, dropping the staff in as the door began closing.

"Well, now that that's over with, we need to figure out how to get the wand." Hayden said, something in his voice off.

"Are you okay, Hayden?" Fran asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Hayden said, sounding more off.

"No, you're not. What's going on?" Claire asked.

Hayden tried to make another excuse until Harley said, "NO! Don't lie to us. If you really trust us and see us as your friends, you'll tell us the truth!"

Hayden snarled and his fists lit fire, but he took a deep breath and the flames went out as pain and sadness filled his eyes.

"It's just...This might sound crazy, but ever since we saw the statues of our parents I've been thinking...if we're sick of our parents abusing us, why even go back to the Isle?" Hayden asked.

Harley, Fran, and Claire looked pained and sad as well, considering what he'd said.

"So...you think we shouldn't complete the mission?" Fran asked.

"I don't know what to think anymore, to be honest. Maybe this place is getting to me." Hayden confessed.

"Why don't we discuss this tomorrow?" Claire said, "We need to get inside before the potion wears off and we get caught."

"You're right." Hayden said.

The four friends nodded and went inside, their bodies tired but minds burning with Hayden's question-why go back to the Isle?


	8. Mason and Ruby

Chapter 8-Mason and Ruby

"Mal," a voice called, shaking her.

Mal moaned and pulled the sheets over her head.

"Go away, Evie." she grumbled.

"Mal, this too important for you to sleep through!" a boy's voice cried.

"Jay?" Mal asked, rubbing her eyes and emerging from her sheets.

She was blinded by harsh sunlight coming into her room, unusual for when she normally woke up.

Mal looked over at her alarm clock and discovered that she'd overslept by two hours.

"What?!" she asked, leaping out of her bed.

Mal looked down and realized that she'd slept in the clothes she wore yesterday.

"What happened yesterday?!" Mal asked.

"The fight Hayden caused yesterday during dinner was a distraction. I think Claire, Fran, and Harley put some kind of potion in our drinks yesterday that made us go out like a light." Carlos said.

"Why would they need to do that?" Mal asked.

"So they could do this." Jay said, handing her a newspaper.

On the front page was a headline reading SCEPTER SWIPED! Jafar's Staff Stolen From the Auradon Museum of Culture. Below the headline was a picture of a broken glass case.

"How did they get the staff without alerting the guards?!" Mal asked.

"They must've hacked into the security system somehow and shut it all down." Jay mused.

"But then why not take Fairy Godmother's wand as well?" Evie asked.

"They couldn't. Remember when we broke into the museum and tried to take the wand? It's protected by magic. If one of them had so much as laid a finger on it or if Hayden had tried to mess with it, the alarm would've gone off, and they would've been caught red-handed." Carlos said.

"Well, regardless, we're late for class. We'll find them and get them to tell us what they did with the staff later. Jay, Carlos, can you leave so I can change?" Mal asked.

"Yeah, no problem." Jay said, leaving.

Mal's face fell, and Evie asked, "Mal? What's wrong?"

"Ben's probably going to receive more backlash for what happened last night and blame himself for it." Mal said sadly.

"Yeah, you're right." Evie said, "Poor Ben."

Claire was starting to feel like she couldn't breathe. She hadn't spent much time outdoors for _far too long_. She loathed being cooped inside for days on end. It made her feel like she was trapped in a cage.

She barely paid attention in her chemistry class, which she didn't really mind. She saw chemistry as nothing but a bunch of boring nonsense that could occasionally do something cool like cause an explosion or poison someone.

Claire spent the entire period staring out into the woods, resisting the urge to leap out the window and run as fast as she could into the wilderness.

When the bell finally rang, she started walking to her next class when she realized she was in one of the outdoor accessible hallways.

Claire stopped, breathing heavily, trying with everything in her not to run.

"Claire?" Ben asked, concerned, "Are you okay?"

She heard a guy behind her snort and say, "Freak."

Claire snapped and took off, not caring where she was going and not listening to the voices fading behind her.

The eventually stopped on the banks of a creek and screamed. She screamed in frustration for how unfair her life was, in pain from the torment of her father, and for all the confusion that was inside of her.

She cried into the stream and splashed at her reflection, hating everything about it.

 _Why does nothing in my life make sense anymore?! What's wrong with me?!_ She screamed inside her mind.

"Thanks a lot, Chad! Look at what you made her do!" Lonnie snapped at him.

"It wasn't Chad's comment that did. She got outdoors sickness." Mal said.

"Been cooped up inside for too long?" a new voice asked.

A boy with red hair that was shaved on the sides and back but longer on top stepped through the crowd. He had pale skin and dark eyes, wore green flannel over a black shirt with a bow and arrow on it, ripped jeans, hiking boots, and a bear claw necklace.

"Yeah, she can't stand being indoors for days on end with barely any time outside. We call it outdoors sickness." Jay said.

"Makes sense," the red-haired boy said. Mal noticed that his voice had a strong Scottish accent.

"I get the exact same way when I'm that situation. Must've driven her completely mad. Not to mention, this probably a huge change, coming from the Isle to here. Poor girl." the boy said sympathetically.

"Sorry, who are you?" Carlos asked.

"Oh, right. My apologies. I'm Mason, son of Merida." the boy said, offering out his hand to shake.

Mal, Jay, Carlos, and Evie shook his hand, and then Mason asked, "So, that girl was Claire, right? Clayton's daughter?"

"Yeah, sorry she ran off like that." Jay said.

Mason shrugged and said, "Eh, I honestly can't blame her for doing so. I'd have done the same thing if I were in her shoes. I'll go talk to her."

"You sure? Claire's, well, evil." Jane said.

"Well I think she's interesting. I like her enthusiasm for the outdoors. Plus she kind of reminds me of my sisters." Mason said.

"Sisters?" Evie asked.

"Yeah, I have triplet younger sisters - May, Maria, and Meredith. They act a bit like her, so I think I can go and talk to her without her ripping my head off." Mason said, smiling.

"Alright, if you're sure, go ahead." Ben said, "I'll tell Fairy Godmother where you two are."

"Thanks, mate. You're the best." Mason said, patting Ben on the back.

"No problem. Now bring her back!" Ben called as Mason ran off.

"I will!" he shouted.

Claire was so busy crying into the stream that she didn't notice anyone coming until a voice with a male Scottish accent gently asked, "Hey, you okay?"

Claire dried her eyes and turned to see a red-haired boy walked towards her. She wasn't much for fawning over boys, but even she had to admit he was cute in a rugged, outdoorsman way.

Then Claire remembered where she was and who she was supposed to be, and dried her eyes and scowled.

"I'm fine. Go away." she tried to say menacingly.

Claire winced, her voice sounding weak and shaky.

"Yeah, you're not alright. Let me guess, too much going on in your life and no time to breathe so you fled into the wilderness when you given the chance because it's your safe place?" the boy asked, sitting on a log.

"How did you know that?" Claire asked curiously.

"'Cause I've done the same thing multiple times. It really calming in the forests, isn't it? No hustle and bustle, no people demanding things from you, no chaos. Just the trees, and fresh air, and sound of the stream flowing, and the animals. Gives your mind and soul a break." the boy said.

He then winced and said, "Wow, that sounded really hipsterish. I'm not a hipster, I swear. I'm just an outdoors enthusiast."

In spite of herself, Claire felt the urge to smile, her body relaxing.

"What's your name?" Claire asked.

"Oh, right. I'm Mason. My mum's the famous Merida." Mason said, reaching his hand out.

Claire stared at, confused as to what he wanted. Was he asking her to rob him?

"Uh, I take you don't do handshakes on the Isle?" Mason asked, withdrawing his arm.

"A what?" Claire asked.

"A handshake. It's simple. Put your hand in mine." Mason said, extending his arm again.

Claire hesitated, uncertain whether or not to trust this boy.

"It's okay," Mason said gently, "I promise I won't hurt you."

"I don't like that word, promise. Too many people on the Isle make promises and then break them because they're, well, evil." Claire said.

Mason's face turned sad, and he said, "Then...I swear I won't hurt you. Does that work?"

Claire nodded and put her hand in his. Mason made a gentle up and down motion with both their arms and said, "This is called a handshake. It's how we greet people when we first meet them in Auradon."

Claire pulled her hand away and stared at it, fascinated.

"What is it?" Mason asked.

Claire smiled and shook her head, "It's just...this place keeps surprising me. My dad always made Auradon sound like the kind of place that you'd read about in a cheesy kids story. Everything was all sunshine, rainbows, cupcakes, and butterflies, and everyone there was constantly chipper and wore rose tinted glasses and stood around holding hands singing Kumbaya."

Mason laughed, the sound making Claire laugh as well.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Mason said, "I can't believe you thought that!"

"Well, how was I supposed to know? I've never been to Auradon! I hadn't even seen a picture of it before coming here!" Claire protested.

Mason stopped laughing and said, "Really? Don't you guys have TVs? Or phones?"

"We don't have Wi-fi on the Isle. We do have TV, but the only stations we get are news and the shopping channel." Claire explained.

"Ah," Mason said sadly.

He then stood and offered his hand to her, "You okay to go back in? We don't want to miss the rest of our classes."

Claire nodded and took his hand, then yelped as he suddenly pulled her to her feet. She stumbled into Mason's chest and noticed that he smelled like pine and wood.

"You like my cologne?" Mason asked, smiling with one eyebrow raised.

Claire's face grew uncomfortably hot as she pulled away and she said, "It's...it's a nice fragrance."

Mason started leading her back to school and said, "You know, we have an Outdoors Club at Auradon Prep, if you're interested."

"'Outdoors Club'?" Claire asked curiously.

"Yeah. We get together once a month and do an outdoor activity like whitewater rafting, camping, hiking, skiing, ropelling-"

"That does sound nice," Claire said, interrupting Mason, "But I can't. I'm on an in-school suspension for fighting. And I'm acrophobic."

"Acrophobic? Why?" Mason asked.

"My dad told me how he died by falling from a tree and then a vine snapping his neck. I'm afraid the same thing will happen to me." Claire confessed, finding that Mason was strangely able to talk openly with.

"Well, if I recall the story correctly, your dad died because he was being careless. Your dad got tangled in vines after chasing Tarzan through a tree, so he started hacking at them. Tarzan saw he going to kill himself, so he tried to warn Clayton, but he didn't listen, and that's why he died." Mason explained.

Claire frowned at him and said, "My dad always told me that Tarzan just let him die."

"What?! _No!_ That would've _horrible_! Tarzan was a good man, so he tried to save Clayton! He's not evil enough to let someone die!"

Claire suddenly heard multiple gasps and turned to see that they'd arrived back at school, and people were staring at them with wide eyes and gaping mouths.

Confused, Claire looked at her and Mason, shocked to discover that she and Mason were _holding hands._ In front of _everyone._

Claire felt her face grow super hot, and she quickly pulled her hand away.

"Claire?" Mason asked, "What's wrong?"

"I...I need to go." Claire said, turning and running away.

"Claire, wait!" Mason called after her, "CLAIRE!"

 _Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god,_ she thought, her mind running as fast as her feet, _Did that really just happen?!_

"Hey, Evie." Harley said, swaggering up to her at her locker.

"Oh...Harley. Hi." Evie said uncomfortably.

"You look wickedly beautiful as always." Harley said, winking.

"Uh...thanks. Can we talk later?" Evie said quickly.

"What do you say we go spray-paint the walls. This school looks like it could use a new paint job." Harley said mischievously, ignoring her.

"No, I don't do that stuff anymore. I'm not evil anymore. Go away." Evie said more forcefully.

Harley snorted and said, "Like I'm going to believe that. Like my mom always said, 'Once evil, always evil'. You've still got a wicked heart, you've just lost your touch. C'mon, I know a great way to ignite your evil spark and spend quality time together."

"No! How many times do I have to tell you, Harley, I'm not interested in you. I have a boyfriend now!" Evie snapped.

"You mean the dork with the glasses in these pictures?" Harley asked, looking at her locker door, "You deserve better than some _nerd_. You are a _princess_. And every princess deserves a prince."

"Harley, leave her alone!" Jay said, stepping between them.

"Why? I'm not doing anything to harm her. I'm just flirting." Harley protested.

"You may call that flirting, but in Auradon, we call that harrassment." Audrey barked, "Back off."

"You're making her uncomfortable." Ally agreed.

Harley snarled at Ally, and she yelped and cowered behind Audrey.

"I don't see what the problem is. I'm merely trying to court my Evie." Harley said, his face turning pink.

"She's not _your_ Evie! You've been chasing after her for years and every time, she tells you _no_. How many times does she keep having to reject you before you get it through your thick head that she doesn't want you?!" Mal barked.

"She's playing hard to get, like any good villain would." Harley snapped, his face going from salmon to red, "A wicked princess deserves an evil prince!"

"I'm not wicked! Stop calling me that!" Evie yelled.

"If you've been pursuing her for years and being rejected by her, why do you even keep going?" Audrey asked.

"Because I don't have a choice!" Harley snapped, tears forming in his eyes, "Mom said I have to marry a princess or she'll kick me out of the family and leave me for _dead!_ And since Evie was the only princess on the Isle, that meant I had to keep chasing after her no matter what happened, otherwise Mom would force me live on the streets, beg for food and money, try not to freeze to death, and leave Harper to fend for herself against our Mom's wrath, so I thought I had to do the same thing in Auradon!"

There was silence from everyone as they registered Harley's words, while he breathed heavily, fists clenched, tears streaming down his red face.

"I...I'm sorry, Harley. I had no idea." Evie said at last.

"Who's Harper?" Ally asked.

"My little sister. I love her more than anything, even myself. I'd give anything to ensure her safety and happiness, even if it means sacrificing myself. I've lost count of how many times I've taken a beating for her sake…" Harley said, trying not to cry.

He wiped his eyes and said, "I need to go," then ran away in the opposite direction.

Mal and her friends looked around to see that all the AKs nearby had tears in their eyes, and more than a dozen were openly weeping.

"Mal…" Ben said, his eyes shining with tears, "Harley said he took beatings from his mom...Have...Have Fran, Claire, and Hayden…?"

Mal nodded and said, "Clayton beats his kids, Frollo whips them, and Hades burns them."

" _Them?"_ Audrey asked, looking pale and teary.

"Claire has a twin brother, Clay. Fran has a little sister named Claudine, and Hayden has two younger siblings-his brother Hadie and his sister Hazel. I hear they're all pretty close, but I don't know everything about their relationships." Jay said sadly.

"And...and you guys?" Ben asked.

The four friends nodded, and Carlos said, "Every child on the Isle is abused in some way. Like me, for instance."

Carlos bent down and pulled up his pant leg to reveal a nasty scar.

"My mom made me sleep in a room full a bear traps. I made one bad step one night a few years ago, and this happened." Carlos said sadly.

"None of the villains on the Isle love their kids. Except for maybe Mister Smee. The other villains...they tolerate us because they see us as their successors and they think we'll free them from the Isle. Otherwise, they don't give a rat's ass about any of us." Evie said, tears in her eyes.

"But...but you guys are okay now, right?" Ally asked, wiping her face with a handkerchief.

"To be honest, I don't know if any of will ever be 'okay'. But we are healing." Mal said gently.

"What about Harley, Fran, Claire, and Hayden?" Ben asked, looking like he was trying to fight back tears.

"I think they'll be okay. They're strong. They just need to find someone or something here that allows them to open up and gives them love." Mal said.

Harley was running as fast as he could, not caring where he was going, just knowing he had to get away from everything.

His tears blinded him, so he kept running straight ahead, assuming that others would know enough to get out of his way. That is, until he ran into someone.

He heard her yelp and fall as he fell on top of her, landing on her chest.

Harley wiped his eyes to see that he had fallen on a girl with long golden hair tied in a braid, a headband with fake flowers attached to it, green eyes and a slight tan. She wore a lilac t-shirt was ruffles, paint-splattered jeans, floral print flats, a gold necklace with a sun charm on it, and chameleon shaped earrings.

He quickly pulled himself off her as she got into a sitting position, glaring at him, her hair starting to shine.

"Can't you watch where you're-?!"

The girl's anger faded and her hair returned to normal when she saw the look on Harley's face.

"Are you okay?" she asked, sounding concerned.

"What do you care? I'm a villain. Good people like you aren't supposed to care what happens to us." Harley snapped.

"Oh really?" the girl asked, pulling herself to her feet and adjusting her messenger bag, "I didn't think villains were capable of crying like that."

Harley tried to think of a comeback, but his usually eloquent tongue failed him. Frustrated, Harley started punching a pole, making his hands bleed.

"Stop, stop! What are you doing? Don't hurt yourself!" the girl cried, grabbing his arm.

"I...I'm just confused, and...really exhausted." Harley said, his eyes watering again.

"Well then, how about we talk while we walk to the nurse's office?" she asked kindly, "It's not far from here, and we need to clean up your hands."

"Why are you being nice to me?" Harley asked as she took his hand and they started walking.

"Because villain or not, nobody deserves to suffer alone. You look like you could use a friend to help you feel better." the girl said.

"Who are you?" Harley asked.

"My name's Ruby. I'm Rapunzel's daughter. Who are you?" Ruby asked.

"Harley, son of the Queen of Hearts." Harley said flatly.

"You don't sound happy about that." Ruby noted.

Harley winced and said, "My mom and I have a...difficult relationship."

"I'm sorry." Ruby said, her hair graying.

"What is that?" Harley asked curiously.

"What's what?" Ruby asked.

"Your hair just suddenly started graying." Harley noted.

"Oh, it's because of the magic inside it. My hair changes depending on my mood. When I'm upset, it turns a dark gray, but when I'm super happy it glows. It's because I inherited my mom's gift of healing from the flower from the sun." Ruby said.

"Then why can't you heal my hands right now?" Harley asked.

"My powers are more finicky than my mom's was. It doesn't work when I'm upset unless I force it too, which ends up hurting me. I think it'd be best if we see the nurse first and then I'll heal you." Ruby explained apologetically.

Harley nodded and said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Ruby said, her hair getting a bit lighter, "So, can I ask what upset you so much."

"It's just...I'm so confused lately. I don't know if I'm evil our not anymore, I can sense that people here don't like me because my mom happens to be an Isle villain, and I don't know if I even want to go back to the Isle. This place is making me question everything I thought I knew about myself and it's tearing me apart. Plus I can't stop worrying what will happen to us if we let our parents down. My mom said if I failed her, she'd gouge out my eyes and feed them to her dogs, then make me serve her forever, and if I messed up at serving her, it's off with my head!" Harley wailed.

Ruby gasped and said, "The Queen of Hearts would do that to her own son?! Are you sure she wasn't exaggerating?"

Harley nodded and said, "My mom maybe in a drama queen in a lot of aspects, but she's dead serious about punishment."

Ruby's hair faded to a dreary gray as her eyes filled with tears, and she whispered, "That's...that's horrible. I can't even imagine...How did you put up with it?"

"I...I don't know." Harley said.

Ruby let a few tears fall from her eyes, but she swallowed and said, "So, change of subject, what's been your favorite part of living in mainland Auradon so far?"

Harley thought for a minute and said, "I kind of like everything here, actually. It's a thousand times better than the Isle. Except for the mean kids. How can such kind people have such awful kids?"

Ruby winced and asked, "Are you referring to Chad?"

"Right on the money." Harley said.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about him. He's like that because his parents spoil him. They give him everything he wants-nice clothes, all the latest tech, fine jewelry, money-!"

"Really? With all of that nice stuff, you'd think his parents would be able to buy him better manners, a smaller ego, and maybe a girlfriend from the Isle to compliment his personality traits." Harley said, cracking a small smile.

Ruby laughed, her hair getting lighter, and Harley found himself smiling even wider in spite of himself.

She then leaned in and whispered in Harley's ear, "You know what I would do if I was his mom? I'd send him away for a summer to serve a rotten rich family like Cinderella did before Fairy Godmother came and she met Prince Charming at the ball. That ought to put a few lessons in that thick head of his."

Harley laughed, and he noticed Ruby's hair starting to become blonde again.

He suddenly stopped laughing, though, when a colorful thing suddenly started flying in his face.

"Aah!" he cried, backing away, "What is this thing?"

"You've never seen a butterfly?" Ruby asked, stunned.

"No, I have not. Why is flying in my face? Does it sting or bite? Will it suck my blood?" Harley asked, swatting at the butterfly.

Ruby laughed, her hair becoming a light blonde.

"Harley, butterflies are harmless!" Ruby giggled, "It's probably just checking you out because it likes the red streaks in your hair."

The butterfly the flew away from Harley and started flying around Ruby's head.

"See? Now it's interested in me because of the faux flowers on my headband." Ruby said, her hair returning back to its normal color.

"Hey, your hair's back!" Harley noticed as the butterfly flew away.

"You're right!" Ruby said.

She undid her braid and wrapped her long golden hair around Harley's fists.

"Now don't move your hands, or it'll get messed up, okay?" Ruby asked.

Harley nodded, and Ruby sang the same healing incantation that her mother used. Harley was silent, marveling at the way Ruby's hair was glowing like a lantern, and the sense of warmth it was giving him.

When she stopped singing and withdrew her hair, Harley marveled at how his hands were completely healed with no sign of any injury in the first place.

"Wow." he whispered.

"I know." Ruby said, smiling, "It's cool, huh?"

"No, it's AMAZING!" Harley cried, "That is the coolest gift I've ever seen! Can you bring someone back from the dead? Or save their life?"

Ruby's hair started glowing as she blushed and said, "No, I'm afraid not. Like I said, my powers are more finicky than my mom's. I can treat any wound or sickness, but only if it's not fatal. Once someone's on death's doorstep or dies, I'm powerless."

"Oh. Still, that's incredible." Harley said, beaming, his face feeling hot.

The two stood there, staring into each other's eyes, until the bell rang and startled them back into reality.

"I...uh...we need to heading back to class." Harley said, his face getting hotter.

"Yeah," Ruby said, her face hot pink. "Uhm, I guess I'll see you around, Harley."

"Yeah, you too." he said, turning and walking away.

 _What the hell was_ that? Harley thought, _I'm not supposed to be nice to her! I'm evil! I'm 100% rotten to the core...Aren't I?_


	9. Ben Snaps

Chapter 9: Ben Snaps

"You are not going to believe this!" Evie said, coming up behind Mal and tapping her shoulder at lunch.

Mal flinched and grabbed Evie's wrist, snarling.

"Woah! It's okay, it's just me!" Evie cried.

"Evie! I'm so sorry!" Mal cried, letting go.

"It's fine. I get it. Isle instincts." Evie said sadly.

"Yeah." Mal agreed, looking at the ground.

"So, the most amazing thing just happened!" Evie said excitedly.

"What?" Mal asked, looking up.

"Harley may have found a reason to stop hounding me! I heard that after he ran away from us, he ran into Ruby - you know, Rapunzel's daughter, and a bunch of people saw them talking and laughing. Neither of them have even stopped blushing!" Evie said excitedly.

"Evie, that's great! No more harassment, and something that could inspire Harley to be good?! That's wonderful!" Mal cried.

"I know!" Evie squealed.

"Well, then, I guess that makes two new possible Isle-Auradon couples." Jay said, coming up to the group with Carlos.

"What? What do you mean?" Mal asked.

"You weren't there, but after Mason ran into the woods after Claire, they came back together chatting super easily, grinning, and even holding hands!" Carlos said.

"Of course, Claire did freak out and run from him, but she's a VK being exposed to love for the first time, so that's natural, I guess." Jay said.

"That's even better! What about Hayden and Fran?" Mal asked.

"We haven't really see anything change with them." Jay noted glumly.

"Seriously?! You guys haven't noticed that Fran _clearly_ has a crush on Hayden? Or that Hayden's been spending hours in the library after school?" Evie asked.

"What are you talking about?" Jay asked.

"Fran starts freaking out whenever Hayden so much as looks at her, and I don't know what Hayden's reading, but whatever it is, he's enthralled. He's even taking notes in a notebook! I've never seen him so interested in books before." Evie said.

"Mal!" voices cried, running up to the group.

Audrey, Lonnie, Jane, Ruby, Ally, and 3 red-haired girls ran up to the group, tears in their eyes.

"Thank god we found you!" one of the red-haired girls said.

"What's wrong?" Mal asked, concerned.

"It's Ben. He's really upset, and he's refusing to let anyone try to talk to him. He hasn't come out of his room all day, and he keeps yelling and sobbing and it sounds like he's beating himself up!" Audrey cried, tears ruining her mascara.

"None of us have ever seen him so unhappy. It's terrifying." Ally whimpered.

" _What?!"_ Evie exclaimed, "But Ben's normally so composed and leaderlike! What on Earth could've-?!"

"We don't know!" a red-haired girl with short frizzy hair with red streaks, a flannel bandana, and earrings and a nose pierce exclaimed, "He won't let anyone get near him! It's like he's become a _beast!_ "

"What can we do to help?" Carlos asked.

"We just want Mal. Since she's his girlfriend, he might be more willing to talk to her." Jane said.

"I still think it's a bad idea." the third redhead with long frizzy hair, a bear paw hairpin, and natural makeup said bluntly, "If Ben's acting like a _beast_ I don't think there's anyone who can calm him down. We should just leave him. It's like Mum always said - don't provoke the bear."

"Yeah, because we haven't already tried that, and he's gotten so much better, hasn't he, Maria?!" the second redhead with medium length hair in a braid and pierced ears.

"Sorry for trying to not make things worse! Why don't you go back to pulling pranks if you're not going to help, May?!" Maria snapped.

"Oh, I'm not helping? You're the one who suggested we leave Ben alone to suffer!" May barked.

"Will both of you knock it off?! This is hardly the time for a fight!" the short haired redhead said.

"How about you keep your snout out of this for once, Meredith?!" May snapped.

The three girls started shouting at each other until a boy's voice yelled, "Knock it off, all three of ya!"

Mason came running over to the quarrelling trio and barked, "Would someone care to explain what's going on?"

"Ben's super upset and has been locked in his room all day, and Maria had the nerve to suggest that we leave him alone to suffer more!" May snapped.

"It was just a suggestion! Sometimes, people need space to sort through their problems!" Maria countered.

"Hey!" Mason interrupted before they started shouting at each other again, "Cool it! Maria, I'm afraid May's right - Ben needs someone to talk to, and Mal's our best shot at that. But May, that doesn't give you the right to shout at your sister."

"Meredith got involved, too." Maria growled.

"I was just trying to break it up!" Meredith protested.

"But that's not your job, is it?" Mason said, "How many times to I have to tell ya, when your sisters are fighting, stay out of it or you'll just escalate it! Let me or someone else take care of it! Now, all three of ya, apologize to each other."

"I'm sorry, May. You were right. I should've listened to ya." Maria said.

"I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have lost my temper." May apologized.

"And I shouldn't have butted in. I'm sorry, girls." Meredith added.

The three sisters hugged, and Mason breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry you all had to witness that. My sisters can be as stubborn as rams at times." Mason said to the group.

"Oh, so these are your sisters." Mal said.

The girls nodded and Meredith said proudly, "We're Merida's triplets. We call ourselves the Arrow Trinity since we're all skilled in archery."

"It _should be_ the Arrow Quartet." Mason grumbled.

"No, because you're older than us. We're _triplets,_ not _quadruplets._ Hence, the _trinity._ " Maria said.

"Guys," Carlos reminded them, "What about Ben?"

"Right! Mal, will you help us?" Lonnie asked.

"Of course I will!" Mal said, "Take me to him."

The girls nodded and lead Mal away. As she was leaving, she turned to look over her shoulder at her best friends.

Jay nodded confidently and winked, Carlos smiled nervously, Dude gave a short bark, and Evie gave two big thumbs up.

Mal took a deep breath, reassuring herself that everything would be fine.

Mal was a hall away from Ben's door when she heard him sobbing, and it broke her heart. She decided in that moment that as long as she lived, she never wanted to hear Ben cry again.

The girls stopped in front of Ben's door and glanced at Mal, waiting for her to act.

Mal took a deep breath and tapped lightly on Ben's door.

"GO AWAY!" Ben roared, his voice cracking, and making everyone except Mal flinch.

"Ben, it's me, Mal. I just want to talk." Mal said gently.

"No, you'll just judge me for looking weak." Ben rasped.

"I am _not_ going to judge you! I'm your girlfriend!" Mal protested.

"No, no one can see the king this way! A king has been appear strong, confident, able-!"

"I don't care that you're king!" Mal barked, losing her last scrap of patience, "King, prince, common guy, it doesn't matter! You're hurting and need help! I care about you, Ben, and seeing you like this is breaking my heart. Please, if you care about me and yourself, let me in!"

Silence came from inside Ben's door.

"Ben, I promise my opinion of you won't change. Just because you're king doesn't mean you're invincible. You'll still be the awesome boy who's love changed me, stole my heart, and rescued me and my friends from that island prison and our horrid parents! Please, Ben." Mal pleaded.

 _I love you,_ she thought, not finding the courage to say it aloud.

Footsteps came from inside the room, and her heart raced as she heard the lock click.

Mal gasped and tears filled her eyes when Ben opened the door. His hair was messy and unkempt, his eyes were red and puffy from crying, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white.

In spite of this, he managed to give a weak smile and mumble, "You are a sight for sore eyes."

Mal charged at Ben pulling him into a hug.

"What happened? Tell me everything." Mal demanded.

Ben hesitated, and Mal touched his face gently and said, "I'm listening. Tell me everything. I've got plenty of time."

Ben closed the door and sat down on the edge of his messy bed. Mal said beside him and whispered, "Ben, tell me."

"I just…" he whimpered, "I feel I'm doing a terrible job as king."

"Why?" Mal asked.

"Because look at all the problems I've created." Ben said moaned, putting his face in his knees, "Andrew's fire powers are out of control, the villain kids are causing trouble left and right, and they don't seem to be getting anywhere close to good, and everyone expects me to have the answers, but I don't know what to do."

"Ben, you didn't know about Andrew's fire powers. None of us did. It was a family secret that accidentally got exposed. I'm sure if you'd known, you would've prepared ahead of time. But you didn't, so it's not your fault." Mal said gently.

"What about the VKs, then? Look at the reports I've gotten from their teachers." Ben said, handing her a folder.

Mal looked over the reports and was disheartened to find comments like "cannot be trusted in chemistry labs", "class disruption-constantly tries to cause fights", "haughty, vain, and cruel-refuses to help when needed", and "very gifted athlete-but way too aggressive".

"You tried to warn me before they transferred, but I didn't listen. And now look what's happened." Ben moaned.

"Ben, you said it yourself, it was too late to cancel the transfer order by the time we warned you. And besides, you never gave up on us, and look at where we are now. Jay's one of the best tourney players out there, Carlos has a _dog_ , which he used to be terrified of, Evie's one of the best students in the school, and I'm your _girlfriend!_ We never dared to dream of things when we were on the Isle. When we pictured our future, we saw us either taking over Auradon or living on the Isle forever because that's what our parents convinced us that we wanted. But Ben, you placed us on a new path in life. You helped us find what made _us_ happy, without having to be afraid of displeasing our parents. And I think Claire, Harley, Hayden, and Fran are beginning to see that as well." Mal reassured him.

"How do you know?" Ben asked curiously.

"Haven't you heard the gossip? After Mason ran into the woods after Claire, they came back _holding hands and smiling_. And Harley? After he ran away from us, he ran into Ruby and now they're both showing signs of being in love. Hayden? He's been stuck for hours in the library studying something. Hayden's never cared about learning this much in his life! And Evie says that when Fran's around Hayden, she starts getting flustered like she has a crush. And we both know how Evie's like a love expert." Mal reported.

Ben giggled, smiling genuinely for the first time.

"You want to know _why_ this is such a big deal? On the Isle, we were surrounded by hatred and selfishness. These kids are finding things they care about, Ben. They're learning to _love_. Being here is scrubbing all the filth of the Isle off them. It's like they're being reborn into something new and beautiful. And it's because of _you_ that this is happening!" Mal said, tears in her eyes.

"You don't think I'm a failure as a king?" Ben asked, tears in his eyes as well.

Mal laughed and said, "Are you kidding? You're the best king ever! And besides, just because you're king now doesn't mean you're suddenly an expert at ruling. You're still learning, and that's perfectly fine as long as you keep ruling in the amazing way you do, because my God, Ben, you're so incredible!"

Mal pulled Ben into a hug and breathed in the scent of him, feeling his sturdy body underneath his thin shirt, his head resting on her shoulder, and his tears staining the back of her shirt.

"Thank you." he moaned, "I needed to hear that. All I want to is to make people proud, and save the villain kids from the Isle. Give them a chance at a future and a good life."

"And you're doing a great job at that. We're all so proud of you." Mal said, tears running down her face.

She then looked over Ben's shoulder to see a large stack of papers on his desk.

"What's all that?" Mal asked, pulling away from him.

Ben's face fell as he saw where she was looking, and he said, "Oh, those are, uh, complaint letters."

"That's depressing. Why are you keeping them?" Mal asked.

"I needed to respond to them." Ben replied walking over to the desk and shuffling them papers, "I've sent them all apology letters, but I haven't gotten around getting rid of them."

"Then what do you say we repurpose these letters?" Mal asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"What are you thinking?" Ben asked cautiously.

"Nothing dangerous." Mal said as she pulled out her spell book.

She turned the pages and chanted, "Letters alive, words engage, remove these sentences from the pages."

The words on the letters turned green and flew off the paper, hovering in front of Mal. Ben stepped back in shock, his eyes wide.

"You can do that?" he asked in shock.

Mal smirked and nodded, then said, "Got any scrap paper?"

"Uh, yeah," Ben said, reaching into his desk.

He pulled out a piece of paper and Mal examined the words, destroying some and adding others or combining letters from other words to form a new one on to the paper.

When she was done, there was a letter that said,

 _Dear Ben,_

 _You are an incredible king, and an astounding person. We love you for all you have done and who you are. We may forget at times that you are human, and that you, just like everyone else both on the Isle and Auradon, are capable of falling apart. If you feel yourself reaching your breaking point, please come talk to us and we will help you._

 _You are never alone, Ben. We, the good villain kids from the Isle of the Lost living in Auradon, consider ourselves a family, and we're proud to call you a part of it. And if it's one thing that we've learned about family while here, it's that they support each other no matter what. So know that we will support you and have your back with whatever you do._

 _We hereby swear that we will always protect and love you._

 _Love,_

 _The VKs._

Mal signed the bottom, and said, "Perfect. I'll have Evie, Jay, and Carlos sign, too, and then all the other VKs that come here and choose to be good."

"You all...really consider yourselves family?" Ben asked, surprised.

"Of course! We all grew up on the Isle, which was basically hell for all of us, so we understand each other in a way I don't think anyone ever will. No offense to you." Mal said.

Ben was silent, frowning at a wall.

"Ben?" Mal asked tentatively, "What is it?"

"Nothing, I just...I had an idea, but I'll need Fairy Godmother's approval first." Ben said.

"What are you thinking?" Mal asked.

Ben winked and said, "It's a surprise. If it works out, you'll see. You'll probably love it."

"Okay." Mal said, picking up her bag.

"What are you doing?" Ben asked.

"I figured that since you're feeling better, I should get to class. Unless...unless you want to stay?" Mal asked, trying to hide an embarrassed face.

"No, no!" Ben said, flustered, "I'll...I'll send a note to your teacher excusing you. Who do you have?"

"Dr. Roman." Mal said.

"Health class? Yeah, good thing you missed the first 15 minutes. You must have a strong stomach if you can handle having that class right after lunch." Ben said, smirking.

Mal laughed and said, "Yeah, I suppose so."

As she reached the door, Ben lightly touched her shoulder. Mal turned to face him, and stiffened in surprise as Ben suddenly pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you, Mal." Ben said.

Mal relaxed and hugged him back.

"You're welcome. I'll always be there for you." she mumbled.

Ben released her, and Mal opened the door to find Fran standing there, staring in shock at Ben and Mal, tears running down her face.

"You really care about us enough to want us to have a good future?" Fran asked Ben.

She turned to Mal and asked, "And you care enough about us that you consider us part of your family? Like a real family that loves and supports each others?"

"Of course we do!" Ben and Mal said together.

Fran started sobbing and walked towards them, then quickly backed away, looking confused.

"Argh!" she cried, slamming her fist into the wall opposite of Ben and Mal, "What's wrong with me? I can't tell the difference between right and wrong anymore?!"

"That's okay, Fran. That's good." Mal said, daring to put her hand Fran's shoulder. She flinched, but she didn't react violently, "It means you're changing."

"Changing into what?" Fran asked.

"Into someone good and beautiful." Ben soothed.

"But...but I _can't_ be that way!" Fran protested. "I have to be my father's daughter. I have to vain, cruel, manipulative, intolerant, mean-spirited-!"

" _Have to?"_ Mal asked.

"What do you mean?" Fran asked, frowning.

"You kept saying you had to be all those evil things. What do you _want_ to be, Fran?" Mal asked.

Fran paused, considering Mal's words.

She then shook her head and said, "I can't be anything else, Mal. You know I can't. I'm...I'm an Isle girl. I have to be rotten to my core."

"On the Isle, yes. But Fran, this is _Auradon_. You have choices here. You can choose to step out of your father's shadow. You and your friends can choose to leave your parents paths and make your own life." Mal said.

"But...but I'm scared." Fran said meekly.

"Don't be. Carlos, Evie, Jay, and I did it, and look at where we are now. Jay's a great tourney player, Carlos is a dog lover, Evie makes clothes and is a chemistry ace, and I do art and I'm dating _the king_. We're all like 1000% happier. If we can do it, so can you. So can _everyone_ on the Isle. Fran, for once your life, trust me." Mal said.

Fran once again paused, considering Mal's words.

"I'll...I'll give it some thought." Fran said, walking away.

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Ben asked.

"She'll be fine." Mal said, "She's just confused. I was the same way up until the coronation. Let's just give Fran and their friends more time, and I'm sure they'll come around."


	10. Club Day

Chapter 10: Club Day

"So, now that your weeklong in school suspension has been lifted, and you all seem to be adjusting to living in Auradon well, I had a marvelous idea!" Fairy Godmother cheered as Hayden, Harley, Fran, and Claire got settled in for Goodness 101 class.

Fran, Hayden, Claire, and Harley looked at each other apprehensively, nervous about what their teacher and headmistress had planned.

"Uh, okay. What were you thinking?" Claire asked nervously.

"Oh, don't be scared! It's not anything bad!" Fairy Godmother said, "I just figured that it's time you four get involved in extracurricular activities."

Claire bit her lip, trying not to spill her secret.

" _Extracurriculars?"_ Harley asked.

"Mm-hm! We have many different sports teams and clubs here at Auradon Prep, so I'm sure you all will find something you enjoy. Harley, since you're so good with a bat, I think you should try out for the baseball team." Fairy Godmother suggested.

"Mason did mention something about an Outdoors Club." Claire said, her face turning pink at the mention of Mason's name, "It sounds kind of cool."

"Ooh, that sounds like something you'd _love,_ Claire! The group does all kinds of outdoors things you'd enjoy! Hiking, camping, white water rafting, kayaking, rock climbing, mountaineering-!" Fairy Godmother listed.

"I'm afraid of heights, so I don't know if I should." Claire interrupted.

"Oh," Fairy Godmother said, "Well, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"So we can skip out on joining clubs or sports?" Hayden asked.

"That's not what I said." Fairy Godmother said patiently.

"You said we don't have to do anything we don't want to." Harley said.

"What I meant was, you don't have to participate in anything that scares you or you're not interested in. But I want you all to at least try to find something that sparks your interest when we go out onto the back lawn." Fairy Godmother said, walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Fran asked.

" _We're_ going to Club Day. Why do you think I was talking about extracurriculars?" Fairy Godmother asked.

"What's Club Day?" Harley asked.

"All of the school's sports teams and clubs set up tents and answer questions to try to get new members to join. And I want you for to participate and find something that sounds interesting." Fairy Godmother said, "Now come on, we don't want to miss anything."

The VKs huffed and rolled their eyes but followed Fairy Godmother out of the room and on to the back lawn.

The back lawn was a madhouse of students in the tents calling out, and other students browsing from tent to tent, offering clubs for all sorts of things.

Fairy Godmother turned to the four villain kids and said, "Now, I want you all explore this event, but don't leave this area for any reason. Tell me if you need to go inside to go to the bathroom or to get a drink from the fountain, okay?"

Hayden, Fran, Claire, and Harley agreed, and walked into the hustle and bustle of Club Day.

"So, how do you guys want to get through this?" Hayden asked, turning to his friends.

"I think we should split up." Fran suggested, "We can cover more ground that way, and we won't have to stop if someone wants to check something out."

"Sounds good to me." Claire said, "We meet up at the doors?"

The four friends agreed, and each headed off in a separate direction.

"Harley!" a voice called out, "HARLEY!"

Harley turned to see Ruby waving at him from a tent.

"Oh, uh, hi." Harley said, walking over.

"Hi! What brings you out here?" Ruby asked.

"Fairy Godmother wants us to get involved in after school stuff." Harley said tensely.

"You don't sound happy about that." Ruby noticed.

"I don't know if there's anything here I'd like." Harley admitted.

"You could join us in Art Club!" Ruby suggested, pointing at the sign on the tent, "We get together after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and make stuff. Paintings, sketchings, pottery, clay sculptures, that sort of thing."

"Yeah, no thanks." Harley said, "I have zero artistic talent. Any other ideas?"

Ruby tilted her head and frowned, thinking.

"You seem like the kind of guy that would enjoy Debate Team." Ruby finally said, "I also think you'd be good at baseball."

"What's Debate Team?" Harley asked.

"It's a team of students that get together and have formal debates with teams from other schools over topics the judges assign them. You work together to persuade the judges to take your side on the issue. You're very outspoken, so I think you'd make a good asset to the team. And I've heard your really good with a bat and you look like you have strong arms, so I think you'd be good at baseball. And goodness knows they could use someone like you." Ruby said.

"Are they bad?" Harley asked, frowning.

"No, no! It's just, well, they're not very exciting. The team's decent, but they don't have any super talented players that make them interesting. Tourney and R.O.A.R get more attention because their team has more extraordinary players." Ruby admitted, "Maybe you'll be the guy who can take them from mediocre to amazing."

"Maybe…" Harley said, considering.

Ruby pointed to a nearby tent and said, "The team's over that way, if you want to talk to them. And the Debate Team's not very far away from them."

"Thanks, Ruby." Harley said, turning to walk away.

"Wait, Harley, come back!" Ruby called.

Harley walked back over to the tent and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Ruby said, her face turning red and hair starting to shine, "I just wanted to give you something."

Ruby reached into her bag below her tent and pulled out a painting of a butterfly resting on a flower.

"You painted this?" Harley asked in amazement.

"Yeah. Do you like it?" Ruby asked.

"I love it!" Harley exclaimed, "It's so...Wow! I've never seen art this good! It looks so real! It looks like a photograph, it's so good! I almost want to stick my hand through it and see if I can touch the flower and butterfly!"

Ruby's face turned redder and she said, "Thank you. I have more paintings if you want to see them sometime."

"I'd love to." Harley said, beaming.

"While we're both here, uhm, you have a cellphone, right?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah, why?" Harley asked.

Ruby ripped part of a piece of paper off, grabbed a pen, and wrote something down it.

She gave it to Harley and said, "Here's my number, in case you ever want to text sometime or...uh...plan to do something together after school."

Harley felt his face go hot and said, "I'll...I'll consider it. Uh, good luck getting people to join your club."

"Thanks. Good luck finding things you like." Ruby said.

Harley smiled sheepishly and walked away, trying to ignore the other people in the tent giggling and teasing Ruby.

 _Boring,_ Claire thought, looking at all the clubs and sports, _stupid, boring._ Cheerleading?! _Eww!_

"-wonder where Barry is?" one of the guys at the Tourney tent said.

"Maybe his shyness got to him?" his teammate suggested.

"Or maybe he's doing something else. Am I the only one who finds it odd how aloof he is?" Jay asked.

"Oh, hey Claire!" Jay said, seeing her in the crowd.

Claire panicked, thinking he'd begun to find out about her secret, and ran.

She shoved through the crowd, not caring where she was going until she ran into a tent.

"Whoa!" Mason said, reaching to steady her before she toppled over. "You okay, Claire?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Claire said, pulling herself up, "Just got a bit spooked."

"By what?" Mason asked.

"Uh, nothing. It's no big deal." Claire said hastily.

Mason frowned at her suspiciously, but shrugged and said, "Alright. So, have you made up your mind whether or not you're going to join Outdoors Club?"

Claire shook her head, and said, "I want to but, I'm just...so scared of the heights thing."

Mason took her hand, making Claire's face feel hot, but she didn't pull away.

"Claire," Mason said gently, "I promise no one in this group will ever make you do anything life-threatening. Our number one priority in this group is safety. It's perfectly fine if you feel you can't do things that involve heights-no one's going to force you to do anything you're not comfortable with-but I do think you should try. My mum always said that the best way to conquer fear is to face it head on. Claire, please, give it a try."

"Mason," a girl at his tent snapped, "Let her make her choice."

Claire paused, considering Mason's words.

 _I'm terrified of heights, but...this sounds like something I'll really enjoy. Camping, hiking, white water rafting, that all sounds so fun! As for the height things, I don't_ have _to participate in them if I don't want to. But at the same time, I think of all the cool things I could miss out on if I don't. And this group sounds really supportive. Maybe I'll finally get over my fear this way._

"I'll...I'll do it." Claire said, trying to sound brave.

"You will?" Mason asked.

Claire nodded, her fists clenched in fear.

"Awesome!" Mason cried excitedly, grabbing a clipboard, pen, and some papers.

"We just need you to sign the members log, and read over and sign this Safety and Liability form." Mason said, handing it all to her.

Claire signed the log, then read of the form and signed it.

"Here." she said shakily, handing it back to Mason.

"Thanks," Mason said, taking it from her.

He then noticed the look on Claire's face and said, "Claire, I swear you have nothing to worry about. I'll be by your side the whole time, and I won't let anything happen to ya, okay?"

Claire nodded and asked, "Is there anything else you think I might like?"

"Cheerleading." Mason suggested.

" _What?"_ Claire screeched.

Mason started laughing hysterically and said, "Claire, I'm _joking._ You, one of the most tomboyish girls I know, a _cheerleader?_ Not in a million years."

"Oh," she said, laughing alongside him, "Yeah, can you see me wearing a miniskirt and makeup, shaking pom poms and dancing like that?"

The two of them started laughing even harder, picturing that, until they both finally stopped, red-faced and crying.

"Oh, god." Mason said, drying his eyes.

"Yeah, I wouldn't be caught dead in a cheerleading uniform." Claire panted, "Besides, I'm way too busy to do that and-!"

She clapped a hand over her mouth, stopping herself.

"And what?" Mason asked.

"Nothing! See you later, Mason!" Claire said, swiftly walking away.

Fran looked around frowning, nothing seizing her interest. Getting frustrated, she started clenching her fists and sneering, frightening everyone around and making no one in any club call out to her.

Something suddenly made Fran stop, her fists unclench, and her scowl melt.

Confused, she looked around trying to find it, until it hit yet again.

Something smelled _really good_.

Fran followed her nose, her mouth filling with drool, to a tent filled a sorts of baked goods that Fran had never seen.

"What is this?" Fran asked.

The people in the tent turned to look at her, and many gasped. Some looked at her with fear, others with disgust, and a few others with welcome.

"Oh, hi Fran!" Jane said kindly, "This is Baking Club. We meet after school once a week and make delicious treats. Sometimes we meet more frequently, though, if we're asked to make stuff for special events like fundraisers."

Fran looked at the food they had on display and asked almost reverently, "You guys made all this?"

Ally nodded timidly and said, "Please don't mess anything up."

"Ally, don't be so prejudiced!" Lonnie cried.

"Look at her, she's one of the wicked VKs!" a guy said.

"Look closer, she looks too in awe to cause any harm. Plus, she's starting to become good." Jane said.

Comments like that should have bothered Fran, but for some reason, it made her feel good inside, like how tormenting people made her feel on the Isle of the Lost.

"What are these?" Fran asked, looking at round balls in yellow and blue on sticks.

"Those are cake balls. They're like cake kabobs. You bake mini cakes, ice them, and then put them on sticks." Lonnie explained.

"And this?" Fran asked, looking at some tan bars with brown spots in them.

"Those are blondies. You know what brownies are, right?" Jane asked.

Fran nodded, and Jane continued, "They're basically the same thing, but these use a different batters."

"Wow." Fran breathed, "And this?"

"Strawberry shortcake." Ally said, more bravely, "It's a treat that's normally eaten in the late spring and summer, when strawberries are in season. It's basically a cake topped strawberries, strawberry pie filling, and whipped cream. It's super tasty."

"And I can learn to make all of this in this club?" Fran asked.

"All of this and more!" Lonnie said proudly, "We make all kinds of different treats-cakes, cookies, pies, bars, breads, cupcakes, puddings, you name it. You can bake whatever you want, unless we're working on a project for something. The only requirement is that you share what you make!"

"Can I sign up?" Fran asked eagerly.

"Of course!" Jane said, handing her the members log.

"Jane!" several people cried.

"Guys, don't worry about it. I'll coach her so she doesn't do anything dangerous or evil." Lonnie said confidently.

Fran handed back the signed sheet, and Jane took it from her and said, "Great! See you at our first meeting next week!"

"Okay!" Fran said, for the first time since she got here looking forward to something.

"Excuse me?" Harley asked, coming up to the tent Ruby had pointed him to, "Are you guys the baseball team?"

"Yes, we are!" the coach said, "Are you interested in signing up for tryouts?"

"Yeah, where do I sign up?" Harley asked.

"Just sign your name on one of the lines." the coach instructed.

Harley signed, and the coach patted him on the shoulder and said, "Alright, see you at tryouts, then. They're in a week, so do what you can to prepare."

"Will do. Thank you, coach." Harley said.

"You're welcome!" the coach said, surprised, "You're surprisingly polite for a villain kid."

"Uh, thanks." Harley said, "How do I prepare for tryouts?"

"Practice pitching, swinging, and do some weight-lifting and other exercises. Just don't hurt yourself or break anything." the coach advised.

"Okay," Harley said, "See you at tryouts, then."

"See you!" Coach said as Harley walked away.

"Hey, are you guys the debate team?"

"Yeah, how can we help you?" the guy running the stand asked.

"I'd like to join." Harley said politely.

"You want to join?" the student asked suspiciously.

"Yes. Ruby recommended I join you guys." Harley said a little less patiently.

"Ruby? Isn't she infamous for being rather, well...naive?" another person asked.

Harley was about to snap, when another person at the tent spoke up.

"I know Ruby well. She's a friend of mine. She has a knack for seeing the best in others. If she sees something in him, I'd say we should give him a chance." the girl said.

The guy running the stand for the Debate Team huffed and said, "You two had better be right about this."

He gave Harley the member's log, and he signed eagerly.

"See you at our first meeting, I guess. It's next Wednesday, so be ready." the student at the tent said.

"Alright. Looking forward to it." Harley said, smiling as he walked away.

"Harley, there you are!" Fairy Godmother said, coming up with Fran, Claire, and a grumpy looking Hayden behind her.

"We need to go back to class. We have ten minutes left until the bell." Fairy Godmother said.

Harley nodded and followed her and his three friends back into Goodness 101 class.

"So, how was Club Day?" Fairy Godmother asked.

"Good." Fran, Claire, and Harley said while Hayden just grunted.

"That's good. Did you four sign up for anything?" Fairy Godmother asked.

"Of course not." Hayden snapped, glaring viciously.

Claire, Fran, Harley, and Fairy Godmother stared at him for a minute, confused.

"Uh, I signed up for the Debate Team and baseball tryouts." Harley said.

"Ah-ha! So you _did_ take my suggestion!" Fairy Godmother cried triumphantly.

"Ruby suggested it, too, and I got more interested." Harley said, shrugging.

"Excellent! What about you, Fran and Claire?" Fairy Godmother asked.

"I signed up for Baking Club. I can't wait to make all sorts of yummy treats!" Fran said excitedly.

"And I joined Outdoors Club after Mason reassured me about the heights issue. I'm looking forward to it, too." Claire said, smiling.

" _Seriously?!"_ Hayden snapped, looking furious.

"What the heck is your problem, man?" Harley asked.

Hayden grimaced and said, "We need to talk after class."

The bell suddenly rang, and Fairy Godmother said, "Well, it looks like now you can do that, Hayden. But do reconsider your choice not to get involved in any after school activities."

"Whatever!" Hayden snapped as he left with his friends behind him, "You're not my mom!"

Hayden picked the lock into a dark closet, ushered his friends inside and then shut the door behind him.

He lit a blue fire in the palm of his hand and hissed, "What the hell are you guys thinking, joining _clubs_ and _sports?_ Have you completely lost sight of our mission?"

"No, we're just not sure we want to do it anymore." Claire said bluntly.

"Are you all _crazy?!_ Is Auradon making you go _soft?!_ We have to complete this mission so that we can prove to our parents that we _are_ evil and we _are_ as good at making mischief as them!" Hayden snapped.

"We don't have to be our parents, Hayden. Here, we can be ourselves!" Fran pleaded.

"So you want to rebel against them? Have you considered the consequences if we don't deliver the wand and staff to our parents?" Hayden asked, exasperated.

"You were considering rebelling too, when we were questioning why we'd want to go back to the Isle, and I've seen you reading those books and taking notes in the library after school. Why are you suddenly changing your mind. Are you scared?" Harley snapped.

" _YES!"_ Hayden whispered hoarsely, "And you three should be, too! Don't you remember the threats our parents made to us before coming here? What they said they'd do if we failed? Not to mention, if we left them, who do think they'd turn their anger to?"

Harley, Claire, and Fran looked sad as the truth settled upon them, and Claire started sniffling.

"But, Hayden, don't you hate the Isle?" Fran asked.

"You know I do. And if the circumstances were different, I'd be all for leaving that place behind and running away from our parents. But...I value my life and the lives and safety of Hadie and Hazel more, even if Hazel doesn't always appreciate what I do for her. Don't you guys feel the same way?" Hayden asked.

Claire, Fran and Harley nodded solemnly, sealing their fates.

"So, what's the plan? How do we get Fairy Godmother's wand?" Claire asked.

"I don't know about that, yet. But I imagine we'll think of something." Hayden responded.

"Well, we better come up with a plan, soon. Our deadline's in two weeks." Fran warned.

"I know," Hayden said, "If you guys hear anything about an event where Fairy Godmother's going to use her wand in the next two weeks, let us know immediately, okay?"

His three friends nodded, and Harley asked, "At least, when all this over, we'll still have each other...right?"

"Of course." Hayden said, smiling, "We're a family now."

Hayden put his left arm out, and Fran, Claire, and Harley soon followed suit.

"One family, forever." Hayden vowed.

"One family, _forever,_ " his friends echoed.

"We should probably be heading to class." Fran said, suddenly looking anxious.

Harley, Hayden, and Claire nodded and walked out of the closet, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. They got a few strange looks, but no one suspected anything.

No one, that is, except Carlos, who texted Evie, Jay, and Mal, "Just saw Harley, Claire, Hayden, and Fran leaving a broom closet. Looked like they just got out of a secret meeting. What could they be up to?"


	11. Tourney Disaster

Chapter 11: Tourney Disaster

"Hayden!" Claire cried, running up to him, _"Hayden!"_

" _WHAT?!"_ Hayden snapped, putting his book down on the bench he was sitting on.

Claire leaned towards him and whispered, "My first tourney game is tonight, and I need you to brew that voice deepening potion so I can play."

Hayden huffed and mumbled, " _Seriously?!_ We just had a discussion a few days ago about clubs and sports!"

"I know, I know!" Claire said, "But I'm already on the team. I need to play, otherwise they'll suspect something's up. I need you to make me Barry again, one last time."

Hayden scowled but said, "Fine. But you owe me one, Claire. And don't back out of it, or I'll-!"

"I won't!" Claire interrupted him, "I swear, I won't. Why have you been so crabby these past few days?"

Hayden looked away and said tensely, "You know why."

"Hayden," Claire said gently, "Even if we have to go back to the Isle, you'll still have us. You'll never be alone anymore. We're family now. And family sticks together no matter what."

Hayden nodded, his head still bowed, and said, "I'll go make you your potion. You go practice."

"Are you going to be okay, Hayden?" Claire asked.

"I'll be fine, just go." Hayden said sharply.

"If you want to talk to me, I'm happy to-!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE, CLAIRE!" Hayden roared, his fists and hair aflame.

Claire backed up, frightened and said weakly, "Okay, then. Bye."

The two friends walked in opposite directions, Claire's heart still pounding from fear.

"Drop of blood from a male, Prankster Powder Number 5, fairy dust, enchanted water…" Hayden mumbled, sorting through the ingredients needed to make Claire's potion, trying to ignore the storm brewing in his subconscious.

Hayden put the ingredients into his cauldron, lit a fire underneath, and began stirring. But as he began mixing the potion, the thoughts he was trying to ignore spilled over.

 _What's the point in going back to the Isle? I'll never fit back there again. I'm too_ good. _And if Dad finds out, he'll kill me. I wish, more than anything, for a way for my friends and I to not have to go back to the Isle, without having to fear for what will happen to us and our siblings. I wish there was a way we could protect them on the Isle while living in Auradon. Maybe this doesn't have to be the end. Maybe Ben can have them transition next so that we won't have to worry for their safety._

Hayden shook his head and thought, _Don't be ridiculous. Dad and his partners would_ never _let our siblings go if we chose to renounce evil and live in Auradon. They'd fear that our siblings would make the same choice we did, and they'd be left without heirs to do their evil bidding. Besides, Dad and Clayton are still hoping to finally turn Hadie and Clay evil if they hurt them and keep them on the Isle long enough. The least disastrous outcome in this case is if we go back to the Isle with the staff and wand like our parents requested. Arguing with the truth is just going to make things more difficult. This was fun while it lasted, but now it's time to go back to the Isle._

Hayden then smelled something off and looked down at his potion. It had gone from the normal lavender to a royal purple with foam and some brown specks. He'd way over brewed it.

"No, no, no, no!" Hayden mumbled, extinguishing the fire and taking the pot off the stand.

" _Shit."_ he cursed, looking at the clock and his ingredients.

"And I don't have time to make another one. Dammit!" he groaned, slamming his fist onto the table, and then looking around cautiously to make sure no one had heard him.

Hayden gave a resigned sigh and bottled the potion, praying that it still did what it was supposed to.

Claire paced back and forth in her tourney equipment and jersey, she and her friends waiting for Hayden to deliver the potion as Harley gave her instructions on how to act more boyish.

"Discuss other teams and sports with them while you're on the bench-most guys like discussing that stuff, especially if they play a sport themselves. Act confident, but don't appear cocky or insult the other team. If the guys are talking about stuff you like, join in. If they're talking about something you don't understand, act interested anyway. And we talked about the little ticks most guys have, so put that into play, too." Harley advised.

Fran grunted and asked, "Where's Hayden? Claire needs to be at the field in 20 minutes!"

Hayden suddenly burst in, trying to catch his breath.

"Sorry I took so long." he panted, pulling out the potion, "Here."

"Are you sure you made the right thing? Why is it the color of Fran's shirt, foaming, and have brown specks?" Claire asked suspiciously.

"I over brewed it by mistake. I think it'll still work." Hayden said, sitting on Fran's bed.

"You _think?!"_ Claire asked.

"Look, we don't have time for me to make you a new potion. Just drink it, and if it goes wrong, I'll fix it real fast." Hayden snapped.

Claire rolled her eyes and drank the concoction, her mouth puckering, skin getting goosebumps, and eyes watering at the taste.

"That tasted horrible." Claire complained, her voice way too deep.

Harley, Fran, and Hayden burst out laughing at the sound of Claire's voice.

"This isn't funny!" Claire boomed, "I can't play tourney with my voice like this, the guys will suspect something! Hayden, you said you'd fix it!"

"Right, right, sorry." Hayden apologized, reaching into his bag and stifling his laughter.

He pulled out a bottle of clear liquid and said, "A few swallows of this should help."

Claire eagerly snatched the bottle and drank a few gulps.

"Hello, my name's Barry." Claire said, testing her voice. Her Barry voice rang out perfectly.

"Alright, good." Hayden said, "But keep in mind you're going to have to be extra careful today. Since the potion got over brewed, it's weaker than the ones I've given you in the past."

"Got it." Claire said, "See you at the game tonight, guys."

Claire shuddered as her friends left, a cold feeling of uneasiness settling upon her. She suddenly got the feeling that tonight was going to go terribly wrong.

She shook her head, dismissing it. Claire told herself that she was just nervous because this was her first real game. She took a deep breath and let Barry envelope her, ready to take on the challenge of his first team game.

Barry walked through the stadium, frantically trying to find the team locker room through the insane crowd that had gathered.

 _Why do some many people like this sport?_ Claire thought, temporarily breaking out of her character, _I can't see anything in this stupid crowd._

"Barry?" a voice behind her asked, jolting Claire back into her role.

He turned and saw Jay and Carlos walking up to him.

"There you are!" Carlos cried, "We were looking everywhere for you! Where were you?"

"I couldn't find the team locker room in this insane crowd." Barry said sheepishly.

"Ah. Yeah, the stadium's a madhouse tonight. The other guys on the team say that this is normal for our opening game, but still, it's crazy." Jay admitted.

Barry nodded and said, "I just hope no one's stupid enough to bring confetti poppers or noise makers to the game. The last thing we need is for someone to throw us off while we're trying to score a goal by going EEERRRRTTTT!"

Jay and Carlos laughed and said, "Come on, we'll take you to the locker room."

"There you are, Barry." Coach said when he arrived with Jay and Carlos, "Where were you? Being on a team means you need to show up when you're told to, son."

"He got lost in the crowd, Coach." Jay explained, "And personally, I don't blame him. I barely saw the team locker room, too, because of all the people running around."

"Alright, I'll make an exception just this once, then." Coach said, "But next time, try to get here when we need you to, Barry."

"Yes, Coach." Barry said, taking a seat on one of the benches with the rest of the guys, only half listening to the coach, the other half trying to conceal his sweaty palms and ignore the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.

"You okay, Barry?" Ben asked from his left.

"Nervous." Barry admitted, "My palms are sweaty and I can hear my heart pounding."

Ben put a hand on Barry's shoulder and said, "Don't worry. I was super nervous my first game, too. It's perfectly normal. You just have to focus more on how excited you are instead of being nervous. You're excited, right?"

Barry nodded, and Ben said, "Then focus on looking forward to the match rather than your nerves. If you focus on how anxious you are, it'll affect your performance. Remember, this will be just like everything we practiced, except you'll be facing an opposing team instead of your teammates. You can do this, Barry."

"Thanks, Ben." Barry said, his voice rising slightly at Ben's name.

"What was that?" Ben asked, frowning.

"My voice has been cracking all day," Barry lied.

"Ah." Ben said, understanding.

"Alright, guys, huddle up!" Chad said.

Barry and the rest of the team came together and began shouting in excitement.

"KNIGHTS ON 3!" Ben called, "ONE, TWO, THREE!"

"KNIGHTS!" Everyone shouted, then charged out of the locker room.

Everyone in the stands cheered as the Auradon Knights lined up on the side of the field, waiting to march on to it.

Evie, Mal, and their friends in the stands with them cheered as the band entered the field playing the school anthem and the cheerleaders danced and flipped alongside them. Evie waved at Doug when she spotted him in the crowd, and he smiled as best he could while playing the trumpet and winked, making Evie cover her mouth in slight embarrassment.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer said once they'd all gotten into place, "I present to, your new fall season tourney team!"

Everyone on the Auradon Prep side cheered, and the announcer began calling off names.

"Ben, son of King Beast and Queen Belle, team captain!"

Ben burst through the banner the cheerleaders were holding, roaring and jumping around.

"This one's for you, Mal!" Ben called, pointing at Mal in the stands. Mal hid her blushing face as Audrey scowled in jealousy.

"Prince Chad Charming, son of Cinderella and King Charming!" the announcer called.

Mal rolled her eyes and grunted, "Of course he'd insist that they introduce him with his full name and title."

"What a snob. He's just as vain as the Queen of Hearts! And Fran!" Ally agreed.

" _Ally!"_ Mal, Evie, and Lonnie cried, offended.

"What?" Ally asked, puzzled.

"She's trying her hardest to become good. Haven't you seen the way she's developed in these past few weeks? You putting her down is going to make it harder." Evie protested.

"Speaking of the new VKs, why do they look so nervous?" Jordan asked.

"Where are they?" Mal asked.

"Left side, at the bottom row." Jordan said, pointing.

Mal followed Jordan's gaze to see Hayden clenching the railing, his knuckles white, Fran ringing a handkerchief, and Harley sweating profusely.

"Huh," Mal said, "Weird."

"Yeah, and where's Claire?" Evie noted.

"You're right, she's not with them." Mal said, frowning.

"Barry, son of Bashful!" the announcer called.

Barry jumped around, waving at everyone in the stands while adjusting his helmet.

" _Barry?"_ Evie asked suspiciously, "Son of _Bashful?"_

Lonnie nodded and said, "He's the new guy on the team. I heard he's really good. He bested Chad multiple times during practice games."

"That can't be right." Evie said, frowning.

"Well, it just goes to show that Chad can't be the best at everything." Jordan said.

"No, not that. I've talked to Doug about his family before-he told that his uncle Bashful's son's name is _Bash._ I've never heard him mention _Barry._ " Evie said suspiciously.

" _What?!"_ Mal and her friends asked Evie.

"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder." Mal said suspiciously as the ref blew the whistle for the game to start.

"Hey, dwarf boy." Chad said, elbowing Barry, "Stay out of my way today."

"We're on the same team." Barry snarled, "Unless you do something stupid, we won't be in each other's way at all."

"Good, let's keep it that way." Chad growled.

"Fine by me." Barry snapped.

The ref blew the whistle for the game to begin, and Barry charged forth, ready to win this game with his team mates at his side. He tracked the ball with his eyes while blocking opposing team members, ready to do whatever he could to help his team win. He leaped and ducked under flying disks in the Kill Zone, racing towards the end zone and blocking the other players. The ball landed in Barry's glove, and he threw it as hard as he could into the goal. The goalie couldn't catch it, and the students of Auradon Prep cheered as the announcer said, "Goal for Auradon Prep, scored by Barry!"

Barry looked up into the stands, feeling elated as Fran beamed in excitement, Hayden gave an encouraging nod, and Harley gave two big thumbs up. His bubble temporarily shrunk though, as he saw Mal, Evie, and a few other girls looking at him suspiciously. Had they found out his secret?

"Nice one, Barry. Keep it up." Ben said, coming up to him and patting him on the back.

"Thanks. Man, that felt good!" Barry said excitedly.

Ben laughed and said, "Yeah, it always feels awesome scoring a goal for your team. Never gets old. But there's still a lot of game left, so keep the momentum up, okay?"

Barry nodded and ran after the ball again, loving every minute of it. He loved the feeling of his feet hitting the field under him, his legs making his run as fast as he had on the Isle, his heart pounding against his chest and inside his head, and the adrenaline coursing through his body. As the buzzer rang, ending the first quarter, Auradon Prep was beating their opponent, the Auroria Dragons, 12-4. Barry chatted easily with his teammates during the break, then charged back onto the field when the buzzer blew again to start the second quarter. He played as hard as he could for five minutes, until he heard a sickening crunching sound and a guy's scream.

Barry immediately forgot about the game and turned to see Jay laying on his back on the turf, breathing heavily and moaning as he cradled his right arm and bent his left leg. Dropping his stick, Barry ran to Jay's side.

The field was dead silent as the fans sat around, worried about Jay.

"What happened?" Fran asked.

"He was running through the Kill Zone when this guy who was on the Dragon's team slammed into him from behind. He landed on his arm, and I think twisted something trying to regain his balance." Harley reported.

"Ouch." Fran said sympathetically.

"Yeah, and now the guy who's trying to treat him is causing him even more pain because HE'S AN INCOMPETENT MORON!" Hayden yelled, making everyone around him stare.

Jay cried out again, and Hayden cried, "You don't just grab a broken bone like that! What is wrong with you?!"

The flustered medic messed up again, and Hayden barked, "You know what, I can't watch this anymore."

He grabbed his messenger bag, climbed over the railing, and ran onto the field towards Jay.

"Hayden, what are you doing?!" Ben asked from across the field.

"Don't worry, I got this." Hayden replied.

The confused medic moved aside as Hayden kneeled next to Jay.

"Alright, just keep breathing, Jay. I know it hurts, but you'll be better soon." Hayden reassured him, "Can you point to where your arm hurts?"

Jay pointed to the bone along his upper arm, and Hayden frowned.

"So your radius bone? Does it feel like the ulna is broken, too?" Hayden asked.

"The _what?"_ Jay asked, teeth clenched.

"The bone below it." Hayden explained.

"Yeah." Jay moaned.

"What about your wrist?" Hayden asked gently.

Jay shook his head, so Hayden lightly grabbed his wrist and checked under his arm.

"That's a relief." Hayden said, "The bone broke upwards, so it didn't pierce the skin. No need for stitches."

"This may hurt a bit." Hayden warned, moving Jay's arm to across his chest, making him gasp and groan.

"Sorry," Hayden apologized to him, "This'll be over soon."

"I need an ice pack, some gauze, and a large piece of square cloth!" Hayden called to the sideline.

The coach grabbed a plastic bag and filled with ice from the cooler, while one of the guys on the bench rummaged through the first aid kit for gauze.

"Is he going to be okay?" Claire asked, running up to them.

"He'll be fine, Barry." Hayden said, catching himself before he said her true name, "Can you give us some space, please?"

"Okay." Claire said, running back to her team as the coach came up carrying the gauze and ice pack.

"Thanks," Hayden said, taking them from him, "What about the cloth?"

"We couldn't find any." the coach said apologetically.

"Has an ambulance been called?" Hayden asked, putting the ice on Jay's arm, then wrapping it in gauze.

"Yeah, they should be here soon." the coach said.

"Great, thanks." Hayden said.

The coach nodded and ran back to the sideline.

"Does anyone have a large piece of square cloth?" Hayden yelled at the students in the bleachers.

Evie dug through her bag and pulled out a large square of royal blue cloth.

"Does this work?" she called, holding it up.

"That's perfect! Thanks, Evie!" Hayden replied, reaching his arm out, his eyes glowing blue.

The cloth flew from Evie's hand into Hayden's outstretched one. He folded it into a triangle, put it on Jay's arm, and tied it on Jay's left shoulder.

"Now, don't move that arm, okay?" Hayden asked.

Jay nodded, and Hayden moved on to examining Jay's left leg.

"Where does it hurt down here?" Hayden asked.

"My ankle. I think I sprained it." Jay responded, teeth still clenched.

"That's probably the most likely scenario, given how you were trying to regain your balance. There's not much I can do here except apply the RICE procedure." Hayden mumbled.

"RICE?" Jay asked.

"Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation." Hayden explained.

"Can I get another ice pack, some more gauze and tape, and a cushion or something?" Hayden asked the coaches.

They quickly provided him with another bag of ice, a full roll of gauze, duct tape, and a cushion. Hayden put the ice and gauze on his ankle, and then lifted it onto the cushion.

"Where in the world is the ambulance?" Hayden snapped, "Is the nearest hospital really that far away?"

A siren started wailing not far away, and blue and red lights flashed through the trees.

"About time." Hayden grumbled as ambulance pulled into the stadium.

"You're going to be fine now," Hayden said, smiling at Jay, who looked surprised at his kindness.

Paramedics climbed out of the ambulance, unfolded the stretcher, and wheeled towards Jay.

"Whoa," said one doctor when he saw Jay and Hayden.

"Did you do this, son?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah. Did I do something wrong?" Hayden asked.

"No, you did everything _right._ That's impressive. Most people don't know how to treat injuries without help from a doctor. You sure made our job a lot easier. Well done!" the doctor said.

"Yeah, whatever." Hayden said, looking away from the doctor, "Just...just do what you need to do to make him better."

The doctors wheeled Jay into a the ambulance while the players and audience stood and applauded, and then drove away.

"Hayden?" Ben asked, coming up to him, "How did you know what to do?"

"Remember how people have caught me reading books and taking notes in the library after school? I've been learning about medicine and the human body. It's actually really interesting." Hayden explained.

"But why help Jay?" "Barry" asked.

"I...I'm not sure why I did it. He just looked like he needed better help than what that amateur was giving him." Hayden said, confused.

He then remembered who he was supposed to be and what he needed to do, and menacingly said, "Don't expect any more help from me, though. I only did because he was an Isle kid, and Isle kids stick together. If an AK gets hurt, you're on your own."

Hayden walked back into the stands, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ben and Carlos smirking at each other, and Ben shaking his head.

Barry stared at Hayden as he walked back into the bleachers, confused as to why Hayden helped Jay if he insisted on all of them going back to the Isle.

"Hey," Chad sneered, jabbing him, "Get back to our side of the field, _dwarf boy_."

Claire would've shouted at him, but Barry only glared at him and ran to the Knight's side of the field.

The referee blew the whistle to restart the match, and the ball went flying. But something had gone terribly wrong for the Knights. The Auroria Dragons were stomping them, blocking all of their throws and scoring goal after goal on the Knights goalie. By the time the buzzer rang ending the third quarter, the Dragons were beating the Knights 28-16.

Barry took deep breaths, trying not to let Claire's frustration get to him.

"Alright, guys, huddle up." Ben said once they all got to the sideline.

"I know things are looking bad at there. We're behind by 12 points, and we lost one of our best players. But we've still got 15 minutes left, and we've still got a great team. Let's get reengerized, and this last quarter, we're gonna make them fear us!" Ben cried.

 _Make them fear us._ Barry thought, Claire's energy and ambition reigniting his strength, _Yeah, there's_ no way _I'm going to let us lose now!_

"Let's win this, Knights!" he cried, rising to his feet and his false voice cracking, "We're going to _slay those Dragons!"_

The rest of the team cheered and charged onto the field, raring to win the game for Auradon Prep. The referee blew the whistle, and Barry charged into the fray, waving his stick to make sure it landed in one of his teammates sticks. One of the guys behind him caught the ball, and Barry ran through the field, ready to help in whatever way he could.

For the rest of the game, Barry played like there was no tomorrow, blocking all the Dragon's passes and their players, guarding his teammates, and chasing the ball like a wolf chasing its prey.

By the time they reached the one minute mark, the Knights and Dragons were tied, 30-30.

"Barry," Carlos said, catching up to him, "What are you doing?"

"Playing tourney, what's it look like I'm doing?" Barry asked.

"No, I mean...why are you acting so...hardcore?" Carlos asked.

"I'm making them fear me. This is our first game of the season, and I'm not going to let us lose!" Barry cried confidently.

Carlos frowned and asked, "Are you really Bashful's son? You're not acting very, well, bashful."

Barry tensed, and Carlos noticed, making his frown deeper.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Guys, stop standing around and let's go!" Ben said, "We've only got a minute left to win."

Carlos and Barry got into position, their hearts pounding as the crowds roared.

The ball went flying into Carlos's stick, and he ran a few feet before being surrounded by Dragons players. He threw it to another boy on the team, who carried it a bit further until tossing it to Ben. Ben only made it a few steps before he was surrounded by Dragons who started whacking at his stick.

"Ben!" Barry cried, realizing he was the only one open, "BEN!"

Ben nodded in his direction and threw the ball. It landed perfectly in his net, and Barry charged running as fast as his legs would carry him. He collided with an Auroria Dragons player and heard something snap, but escaped and made a beeline for the goal. Barry threw the ball as hard as he could, and time seemed to slow until all Barry could hear was his heart pounding in his ears.

The Dragons goalie missed, and the students of Auradon Prep cheered as the buzzer rang, ending the game.

Barry yelled and hopped up and down while punching the air as his teammates came and shouted compliments at him and patted him on the back. He felt Ben lift him onto his shoulders, and the team started shouting, "Barry! Barry! Barry!"

Soon the fans joined in as Barry got lifted up and down on Ben's shoulders while he shouted and waved at the fans, feeling like he was in a dream. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hayden, Fran, and Harley waving to get his attention, while pointing at their heads.

Barry decided to ignore them, closing his eyes and soaking in the spotlight. He suddenly felt the wind on his head, and the stadium went silent.

"That was awesome!" he cried, his false voice shattering.

Claire covered her mouth and opened her eyes to find everyone in the stadium staring at her in shock, her helmet on the ground in front of Ben's feet.

" _Claire?!"_ Ben asked, setting her gently on the ground.

"That's me. What's up, guys?" Claire asked nervously.

"Where's Barry? What did you do to him?" Chad asked menacingly.

Claire rolled her eyes and said, " _I'm_ Barry, you idiot!"

A collective gasp went up, and Carlos asked, "But Claire...how...how on Earth did you-?"

"We helped her." Hayden confessed, "I brewed potions to deepen her voice, Fran cut her hair, and Harley taught her how to act more masculine."

"Why?" Ben asked Claire, "Why did you do this?"

"Because I wanted to play tourney. But since your stupid rules said that I couldn't play because I was born with a pair of breasts rather than a pair of balls, I wasn't able to join. But then I quickly realized that I could play, if I made you all think I was a boy." Claire said defensively.

"So you stole tourney equipment, falsified your name and look, lied to us all, and sneaked out school while you were supposed to be in an in-school suspension, _just to play a sport?!"_ the coach asked furiously.

"Yes. I honestly don't see what the big deal is. I'm one of the best players on the team, and now that Jay's broken his arm and sprained his ankle, he's probably going to be out for the rest of the season. So if you get rid of me, you'll be down two players." Claire countered.

"Are you seriously suggested you stay on the team?! Tourney is a sport for _boys._ She needs to be taken off the roster, _now!"_ Audrey snapped.

"Well, I think Claire deserves to play." Lonnie piped up, "She's proven that she's really good at tourney, and that's all that's required on a team. If my mom can dress up as a man and save China, I don't see why Claire can't play a sport she loves. I say she stays."

"Tourney is a sport meant for _guys!_ It's an unspoken rule! If she stays, we'll be the laughing stock of the league!" Chad protested.

"Well then, maybe the rules should change. No one will laugh once they see how amazing Claire is! I'm with Lonnie, she stays!" Mason argued.

"Agreed." his sisters said simultaneously.

"So you all think we should reward her for breaking the rules? That's not what Auradon's about!" another cheerleader cried.

"Auradon's also not about unfair rules. I've only lived here and been good for a few months, and I know that discrimination based on gender is immoral. It shouldn't matter whether Claire's a boy or a girl, if she's good at tourney, she should play." Mal argued passionately.

"Someone's going to need to cover for Jay, now that he's wounded. It may as well be someone talented like Claire!" Evie agreed.

Soon, the bleachers were filled with people shouting as they argued with each other over whether or not Claire should continue to play.

"Stop!" Ben cried.

"Stop!" Ben yelled, louder.

"STOP!" Ben roared, silencing everyone.

"This is a team matter, so our team will decide whether she stays our not." Ben explained.

"Oh, she's definitely a goner." Chad said, leering at Claire.

"No she's not. She's staying!" Carlos snapped.

"You're just being a prick because you got your sorry butt handed to you multiple times by me in practice matches." Claire said angrily.

"OOH." the audience said.

"Is that how you want to play, monkey girl?" Chad asked, grabbing her jersey and pulling her towards him, "Next time we face off, I'll drag you through the mud."

"Let her go, _now!_ " Harley snapped as he, Hayden, and Fran ran to her defense.

"Or what? If any of you hurt me, it's straight back to the Isle for all four of you. And good riddance, too! You four make me _sick!"_ Chad said, still holding Claire.

"Chad, stop!" Carlos snapped.

Chad ignored him and turned to Harley and said, _"You_ are a barbarian who uses force to get his way, and then uses his 'title' to excuse his behavior. Just like your mother. Soon you'll be ordering decapitations of _anyone_ who crosses you. Not to mention, you tricked an innocent girl into falling in love with a monster."

Harley's eyes shone with barely contained rage and tears as his face turned apple red.

"Chad, that's enough!" Evie cried.

Chad then turned to Hayden and said, " _You_ think it's funny to put other people in danger. Probably so your dad can collect more souls for the Underworld. That and with your magic, it's only a matter of time before you kill someone."

Hayden's fists and hair ignited as tears streamed down his face.

" _How dare you!"_ Fran cried, reaching for her belt.

"How dare _I?_ How dare _you_ come here! You're a stuck brat who thinks she's better than everyone, when in reality, you're nothing but an ugly, selfish, useless girl who doesn't belong anywhere. Your _'friends'_ probably only hang around you because they're using you, since none of you know pity." Chad sneered.

Tears ran down Fran's face, and Hayden's eyes started glowing.

"And _you,_ " Chad said turning to Claire, "You enjoy hurting people. You're cruel, abusive, arrogant, and stupid. No wonder you're a huntress. That's the only thing you're stupid mind knows how to do-hunt, fight, steal, sleep, and eat. Just like a neanderthal."

"Chad Charming, if you say one more rude thing-!" Ben snapped.

"All four of you represent everything that's wrong with the world. You all don't deserve anything except to rot on the Isle for the rest of your miserable lives!" Chad snarled.

Chad suddenly started glowing blue, in a flash of light, there was a warty toad sitting on the field next to Claire, who had fallen onto the turf.

Toad Chad gave a frightened croak and hopped away as fast as he could.

"Good riddance." Hayden spat.

He then took Fran's hand and put arm around Harley, ushering him towards them.

"Let's go, guys." Hayden said tensely, trying not to let his true emotions show.

His friends nodded and walked alongside him to leave the stadium.

"Guys, wait! We're sorry, not all of us feel that way! _Guys!"_ Ben called after them.

"Harley?" Ruby asked, coming up to them as they were leaving.

"Ruby, please leave me alone." Harley said, continuing to walk with his friends.

"Please don't listen to what Chad said. He was just being a jerk. He said similar things Jay, Mal, and Evie before Ben's coronation, too. I don't know why he hates VKs, but-!" Ruby pleaded.

"Ruby, just leave me alone!" Harley snapped.

Ruby flinched and stepped back.

Her hair turned dark gray and she quietly, "I'm...I'm sorry. But, um, if you want some cheering up, there's a special event happening tomorrow night. There's a special comet that's going to be passing through the sky that only happens once every 20 years. Fairy Godmother's going to be bringing out her wand to celebrate."

Harley tensed and said, "I'll...I'll think about it."

"And remember, you have my number if you want to talk to me." Ruby said hopefully.

"Okay. See you later." Harley said curtly.

"Okay, bye." Ruby said sadly, her eyes full of pity.

Once they were alone, Harley looked at his friends and knew they were thinking the same thing he was-tomorrow night, they were going to get the wand and go back to the Isle. There was no turning back now.


	12. Night of Evil

Chapter 12: Night of Evil

"So, what's the plan?" Claire asked the next morning, "How do we get the wand?"

"Simple." Hayden said emotionlessly, "When Fairy Godmother pulls the wand out, Claire will fire a rock at a slingshot from her hand, forcing her to drop the wand, and then I'll use my magic to draw it towards me. While that's happening, Harley and Fran will go get the staff. Once we all meet up, I'll use the potion to open to portal, and we'll go back to the Isle with the wand and staff, give them to our parents, and then we'll do what we need to survive from there."

"Are you okay, Hayden?" Fran asked, concerned.

"I just...I thought I'd never say this, but...I don't want to go back to the Isle. But we don't have a choice." Hayden whispered, fists clenching.

Fran, Harley, and Claire sat down next to him and Fran said, "You'll still have us, Hayden. We care about you. And we'll be by your side, no matter what happens."

"One family, forever, remember?" Harley gently reminded him.

Hayden gave a small smile and croaked, "Yeah. One family, forever."

The four friends smiled at each other, and Hayden joked, "If we fail, my dad's probably going to use my body to fuel the fryers at our souvlaki."

"Yeah, I've never understood what that meant. What is a souvlaki?" Claire asked.

"It's basically a hellish tavern. He constantly made Hazel, Hadie and I work as the wait staff without pay, while Pain and Panic cooked the food." Hayden explained.

"Are they any good?" Fran asked.

Hayden laughed and said, "No, they're the worst cooks on the Isle! Panic constantly freaks out while he's cooking, and Pain constantly burns himself on the fryer, and then he gets mad and over salts the food or makes it too spicy to make the customers pay, so together, they produce the worst dishes ever! My siblings and I have a tally chart for how many times Panic has nearly burned down the restaurant. It's over 1,000!"

"Seriously?!" Harley asked, laughing hard.

"Yeah. Hadie, Hazel, and I have to rock, paper, scissors to determine who goes in and puts out the fire because my dad's too busy 'planning his next big scheme to take over Olympus'." Hayden said, laughing.

Claire, Fran, and Harley were roaring with laughter, and Hayden joined in.

When they finally calmed down, Hayden asked, "So, what do your parents do?"

"My dad runs a 'boutique'. It's basically a shop full of broken household items. Claudine and I have to sell cracked teapots, chairs with moldy wood, bed frames with broken springs, stained linens, clocks that run so slow, they barely work, and all kinds of other stuff for outrageous prices. And then the customers get mad at Claudine and I as if it's _our_ fault!" Fran said, rolling her eyes.

"Ugh, Isle customers are the _worst!"_ Harley complained, "Harper and I run a hair salon, and I take care of male customers hair, while Harper does female hair, but I suck at it, and Mom refuses to teach us, so customers yell at me over making the tiniest mistake, no matter how insignificant it is or how hard I work to fix it, and then Mom comes over, gets pissed at the angry customer, and messes up their haircut even more, then makes them pay full price for it."

"I think that happened to my dad once! He came home with a really bad haircut, yelling about the Queen of Hearts and her son. He called you some pretty nasty names that I won't repeat." Claire recalled.

"What does your dad do?" Fran asked.

"We run a 'trading post' which is basically a fancy name for a junk shop. We sell everything from rusty tools to spices to clothes. It gets really chaotic for times. Especially for Clay because of his...condition." Claire said her voice drooping and tears forming in her eyes.

Fran's, Harley's, and Hayden's faces fell.

"We're sorry, Claire." Harley said softly.

"It's not your fault." Claire whimpered.

"But I'll _never_ forgive Gary as long as I live!" she roared.

They heard a knock on Hayden and Harley's dorm door, and Ben asked, "Is everything okay, guys?"

"Yeah. We were just talking about our lives on the Isle." Fran responded.

"Do you want to go back there?" Ben asked.

The VKs paused and looked at each other hesitantly.

"Not really." Hayden said at last.

"Okay, just making sure. If you guys are done with your homework, you should come join us for dinner. The sunset's gorgeous tonight, and I we're having a special dinner to celebrate the Score Shower." Ben encouraged.

"'Score Shower'?" Hayden asked, confused.

"Every twenty years is called a score, so since this meteor shower happens once every twenty years, it's called the 'Score Shower' by the older generations. We call it the 'Generation Meteor'." Ben explained.

"We'll be right down." Harley said.

As Ben walked away, Harley turned to rest of the group, his head bowed and breath unsteady.

"What's wrong?!" Fran asked, she and the rest of their friends running up to him.

"I just wish...I could tell Ruby goodbye without revealing what we're going to do. I don't want to lose her. I think I'm in love with her. But her and me...she's the good daughter of Rapunzel...I'm supposed to be the evil son of The Queen of Hearts...it's impossible. But why does it hurt so much?" Harley stammered, his voice breaking.

Claire's eyes shined and she stared at the carpet, fists clenched.

"Mason…" Claire whimpered.

Even Fran was biting her lip, looking she was holding back tears.

"Guys, I'm sorry. I don't want to have to do this anymore than you do, but you know the consequences if we don't. Maybe they'll be someone on the Isle for us." Hayden suggested.

"Like who?!" Harley snapped, his head shooting up, "Everyone on the Isle avoids love like the plague, and if Mom found me with any girl who wasn't a princess, which is going to have to be Hanna, since Evie's in Auradon now, she'd kill me!"

"You'd want Prince Han's daughter? That manipulative, condescending, power-hungry snake? Fran and Claudine's number one rival?" Claire asked, disgusted.

"Of course not. That's the point, Claire." Harley sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Fran took a deep breath and said, "You know what? Let's just go get this over with. There's no use fighting it anymore. We came here on a mission, we need to complete it. We can do this."

Hayden, Claire, and Harley nodded, and Hayden said, "Let's go."

The four VKs strutted out of the room, ready to do the most evil thing in their lives.

"And then Hayden lost it and turned Chad into a toad, and he hopped away while Fran, Harley, Claire, and Hayden left the stadium together. They looked pretty upset." Carlos said, recounting the details of last night's game to Jay, who'd gotten back from the hospital with a blue cast on his arm and walking on crutches.

Jay was staring at him in wonder and shock, until he finally said, "So 'Barry' was actually Claire? That explains so much!"

"Yeah, I'm surprised we didn't figure it out sooner. I mean, no wonder she was never around while the team was practicing or in the stands during games." Mal said, looking slightly irritated at herself.

Evie put her hand on Mal's shoulder and said, "She played her part well and did a good job hiding her secret. She fooled us all. Not just you, Mal."

"Uh, speaking of Claire, why do she and her friends look so depressed?" Carlos asked.

Mal, Jay, and Evie followed Carlos's gaze to the four new VKs, and suddenly felt pity. Fran, Claire, Hayden, and Harley's eyes looked pained, their stances drooped, and their faces miserable.

"They look like they're at a funeral." Evie said sadly, "I wonder what's upset them so much."

"Maybe they're feeling hurt because of the things Chad said yesterday." Jay suggested.

"If that's the case, I don't blame them. I was pretty upset after what Chad said us, too. And then of course, Audrey and Jane pushed me over the edge." Mal grumbled.

Evie, Carlos, and Jay nodded, and Jay said, "At least Jane and Audrey learned their lesson. I don't think Chad ever will."

"Which is kinda sad, really. I mean, you'd think after being knocked out by Evie's sleep perfume and turned into a toad by Hayden, he'd learn not to insult VKs. I kind of wish they'd kept him that way." Carlos said, annoyed.

Jay shrugged and said, "Well, now he can't get the taste of flies and pond water out of his mouth. Look at him, he can't leave the punch bowl!" Jay teased.

Chad was standing at the drink table, helping himself to his 20th glass of punch while the students around him stared incredulously.

"He's going to miss the meteor shower, he'll be going to the bathroom so much." Evie noted.

"How has he not drowned himself?" Mal asked.

Fairy Godmother went to stand on the amphitheater, and called, "Can I have everyone's attention, please?"

The students quieted down and looked at Fairy Godmother who was holding a display case with her wand inside.

"As you all know, tonight is our legendary Score Shower, or as you all like to call it, the Generation Comet!" Fairy Godmother cried.

Everyone cheered except for Claire, Harley, Fran, and Hayden, who clapped sullenly.

Fairy Godmother frowned at them for a second, concerned, and then turned back to the rest of the group and said, "So, this is how the night's going to go. Now that everyone's done eating-and you should probably stop drinking the punch, Chad-everyone will follow me to a spot where we'll be able to see sky well. I'll perform some magic tricks in celebration, and then, we'll all watch the meteor shower together. So, can everyone put their dishes away and follow me?"

Everyone excitedly put their dishes in the dirty dish cart and followed Fairy Godmother into the woods, passing by Harley, Claire, Fran, and Hayden, who were moving sluggishly.

Jay, Mal, Evie, and Carlos caught up to them, and Carlos asked, "Are you okay, guys?"

"Not really." Hayden said as he stared at the ground, hands in his pockets.

"What's wrong?" Evie asked.

"We don't really want to talk about it." Claire said curtly.

"Is this about what Chad said yesterday?" Mal asked.

There was some slight hesitation, and then Fran said, "Sort of."

"Don't listen to him. He said some hurtful things to us, too. He accused me of enjoying hurting others, claimed Mal 'stole another girl's boyfriend', and called Evie a gold digger and a cheater." Jay said.

"Really?" Harley asked, "Why?"

"I was a bit to aggressive playing tourney at first, Evie used her magic mirror to cheat in Chemistry class and flirted with Chad for the same reason you went after Evie, and Mal used a love potion on Ben so we could be closer to the wand at the coronation." Jay explained.

"And he's still under the effects of the love potion? That's kind of cruel." Hayden said, frowning.

"No, no. The spell wore off in the enchanted lake not far from here when we had our first date. He's with me because he genuinely loves me." Mal said, smiling.

"That's nice." Claire said, her voice strained and eyes filling with tears.

"Did something happen between you and Mason?" Evie asked, concerned.

Claire shook her head and said, "It's just-!"

Right then, they emerged from the woods to a clear, grassy hill with a few rocks that was open to the sky.

"Can everyone take a seat, please?" Fairy Godmother requested as students began piling in.

"Come sit with us, guys!" Carlos invited cheerfully.

"No thanks. We just want to be by ourselves tonight." Hayden said, his voice full of melancholy.

Jay, Mal, Evie, and Carlos frowned at each other, concerned, but let them go.

Claire, Fran, Harley, and Hayden sat to the far right of the hill, feeling both heavy with dread and ready to spring into action.

"Now that everyone's seated, I'll begin my magic show!" Fairy Godmother said excitedly, removing the glass case from around her wand.

"Get ready." Hayden warned his friends.

Fairy Godmother pulled her wand out as Claire grabbed her slingshot and a small rock.

"Not yet." Hayden told Fran and Harley, who were starting to get up.

Fairy Godmother held her wand in front of her and starting waving it. She opened her mouth to cast her first spell, and Hayden shouted, "NOW!"

Fran and Harley took off while Claire fired her stone at Fairy Godmother's hand.

Fairy Godmother yelped and dropped her wand, and Hayden used his magic to call it to him.

Mal suddenly rose to her feet and yelled, "And now I command, wand to my hand!"

She stretched her arm out, palm open like Hayden's and a beams of green and blue light appeared on either side of the wand pulling it back and forth between Hayden and Mal.

Eventually the wand started to float more in Mal's direction. Hayden grunted and pushed his magic harder, his forehead beaded with sweat, but it was no good. Mal was too strong.

"Claire." he grunted.

Claire nodded in understanding, and grabbed another rock to put in her slingshot. She fired the rock at Mal's leg, and Mal yelped, her spell breaking.

The wand flew into Hayden's outstretched hand right as Harley and Fran came back with Jafar's scepter and gave it to Hayden.

Everyone gasped and backed away in fright, some looking horrified, and others angry.

"So it's true," Jay finally said, "You guys were the ones who broke into the museum and stole my dad's staff."

"Yes, we did." Hayden said, wincing at how shaky his voice sounded.

"Harley?" Ruby asked, her hair graying.

"Ruby…" Harley said, grimacing.

"Claire? What are you…?" Mason asked, sounding devastated.

"Mason...I'm sorry." Claire said, sounding like she was about to cry.

"Why are you doing this?" Ben asked sharply.

"Because we have no choice!" Hayden said tensely.

"You _do_ have a choice!" Evie said, coming to stand in front of them with Carlos, Mal, and Jay, "It doesn't have to be this way, guys! You can make your own choices."

"You don't understand-!" Fran cried.

"YES, WE DO!" Mal, Jay, Evie, and Carlos cried.

"We understand perfectly, guys!" Mal said passionately, "We felt the same way when we stole the wand at Ben's coronation. You know you guys don't want to do this, because you found something or someone in Auradon that you love, but you're afraid of disappointing your parents. Is that right?"

Hayden bit his lip and stared at the ground, a tear fell from Fran's eye, Harley was taking shaky breaths, his fists clenched, and Claire's eyes started to shine.

Jay nodded and said, "You don't have to become your parents here, guys. You can finally be free to be yourselves. You can do whatever you want and love whoever you want."

"Not to mention, you'll be protected from your parents because of the barrier." Carlos added.

"Mal, Jay, Carlos, and I have been here for only a few months, and we're already a thousand times happier than we were on the Isle. You'll be just as happy if you stay here." Evie said soothingly.

"But...but what about our siblings?" Claire asked, sounding like she was choking back tears.

"I'll make sure that they're next on the transfer list." Ben jumped in, "You won't have to worry about them, I promise."

The VKs hesitated, until tears ran down Fran's face and she turned to her friends and said, "I can't...I can't do it, guys. I can't complete this mission. I don't want to go back to the Isle, or to my dad. I...I want to stay in Auradon. I want to attend Auradon Prep and make friends. I want to join Baking Club and discover other things I enjoy doing besides hurting people and lying. I want to be _good."_

"I want to stay, too." Harley said, "This place really makes me happy. Our friendship makes me happy. Ruby makes me really happy. I don't want to throw that all away for something stupid like our parents' crazy scheme to rule the world. I'm staying in Auradon. I'm going to be good."

Ruby's hair started glowing, and she covered her mouth, trying to hide her sobs.

"I'm staying, too." Claire said defiantly, "To hell with what my dad thinks or what he wants me to be. I'm going to be own person now. I choose good. I choose Mason."

Mason blushed and grinned from ear to ear while his sisters teased him and poked him.

Everyone then turned expectantly to Hayden.

Hayden tensed, looking over his shoulder and then back at the crowd before him.

He turned to Ben and asked, "If I stay here, you _swear_ I'll be safe from my dad? And Hadie and Hazel will come here next?"

"I swear," Ben said certainly,"You have nothing to worry about, Hayden."

Hayden took a deep breath and boldly said, "Then, yeah, I'll stay too. I want to study medicine more. I want to be a doctor or surgeon. I want to be good, too."

Hayden put his arm out, and Fran, Harley, and Claire joined him.

"Guys," Hayden said, looking at Jay, Evie, Carlos, and Mal, "Join in."

The other four VKs put their arms in as well, and Hayden cried, "One family, forever!"

"One family, forever!" Everyone in the circle echoed.

Just then, Hayden's bag slid off of his shoulder, and a blue potion fell out and starting rolling down the hill.

"NO!" he cried, trying to use his magic to bring it back to him.

But it was too late. The bottle rolled down the hill, flew onto a large rock, and shattered. Blue smoke started rising up the hill towards the group, where it formed a sideways blue vortex.

"Is that the-?" Claire asked weakly.

"Yes." Hayden answered shakily.

"What is that?" Ben asked, trying to look brave.

"It's...a portal to the Isle of the Lost." Harley said, trembling.

" _What?! You made a potion to open an portal to the Isle?!"_ Mal cried.

Fran swallowed and nodded.

"We were supposed to use it to get back to the Isle once we grabbed the wand and staff," she explained, "But now-!"

Evil laughter sounded from inside the portal, and everyone froze.

"They're coming. They're coming here!" Harley cried, "What do we do?!"

"I don't know!" Hayden said as a dark shape made its way out of the portal.

He landed on his feet, and everyone gasped. The man had skin as gray as tombstones, pointed teeth which were in a smirk, sinister yellow eyes, and his hair was a large blue flame.

His black toga floated around him as he walked forward, spread his arms and cried, "Hello, Auradon! Man, it's good to be back!"

"Be gone, Hades! You're not welcome here!" Ben cried.

Hades laughed and said, "Oh, look! The little boy thinks he can tell me what to do now that he's king! News flash, kid. I'm a _god._ I can do whatever I want!"

He swept his arm over everyone except Hayden and his friends, and they instantly froze in place.

"That's better." Hades grumbled, "Now where is Claude, Clayton, and Queen?"

Right as he said that, a plump woman in a red, white, black, and yellow dress with a golden crown stepped landed beside Hades and smoothed her dress.

"Mom…" Harley whispered, terrified.

"Hmph! The least you could've done was given us a more comfortable ride, Hades." the Queen of Hearts barked.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'll tell my son Hayden to make it better next time he's here. Oh wait, that's right! I can't reach him while he's in Auradon!" Hades said sarcastically.

A man in dark priests robes with gray hair and cold sneer stepped out next, making Fran cower.

"Oh," Frollo moaned, "My joints are killing me!"

"Oh, quit your whining, old man!" The Queen of Hearts said, rolling her eyes.

"Might I remind you, _Your Royal Snobbiness,_ that while I was here, I terrorized an entire city, tortured and killed, burned Paris to the ground, and manipulated a child since his birth, whereas all you ever did was frighten a little girl." Frollo said haughtily.

The Queen of Heart's face turned pink, and she cried, "Yeah, only to have your scheme ruined by the same child you worked so hard to brainwash! _I_ actually won, until King Beast came and imprisoned me on that wretched Isle!"

"You didn't win _anything!"_ Frollo retorted, "If you'd won, that girl Alice's head would be hanging on your wall in your castle! But she's still alive, isn't she?!"

"Will you both _shut up?!"_ a man in hunting clothes with graying black hair said, "Let's focus on why we're _really here."_

"Dad…" Claire mumbled, trembling.

"Ah-ha!" Hades cried triumphantly, grinning "You _did_ get the wand and the scepter! Maybe you kids _are_ useful for something!"

Hades held out his hands eagerly, and cried, "Now, give them to me, and let's get this world domination party started."

Hayden stayed in place, still holding the wand and staff, paralyzed by fear.

"Hayden," Hades said, still smiling but with a bit of strain in his voice, "I said, let's go, son."

Hayden looked at the wand and scepter in his hands, his dad, the crowd behind him, and glared at his dad.

"You want these?! You're going to have to take them from me!" Hayden snarled.

" _What?!"_ Hades said, losing his smile.

"You don't control me anymore, Dad. I'm not scared of you. I'm becoming my own person, a _good_ person who lives in Auradon. I'm stepping out of your shadow and blazing my own trail. I'm going to save lives rather than end them." Hayden sneered.

"You little-!" Hades cried, his hair turning into a monferno.

"Forget him, Hades!" Clayton barked, "The rest of you, give us the wand and staff, now!"

"Don't worry," Claire said, as she, Fran, and Harley stepped forward. Hayden swallowed, fearing the worst.

Then Claire, Harley, and Fran stopped by Hayden's side. Claire grabbed her hunting bag and readied her slingshot, Fran pulled out her belt and cracked it like a whip, and Harley drew his baseball bat.

"We've got your back, Hayden!" Claire finished, smirking at him.

"We'll win this fight together!" Harley said, pounding his bat on the ground.

"No...Auradon's corrupted all of them!" Frollo cried, his face twisting into a cruel snarl.

"No, _you_ corrupted us. This is who we _truly are_." Fran spat coldly.

"I'm giving you kids one warning." Hades growled, the flame on his head growing larger, "Give up the idea of this stupid rebellion, and give us what we came here for, or we'll have to take them from you."

"NO!" Hayden, Claire, Harley, and Fran cried.

"HAVE IT YOUR WAY, THEN!" Hades roared, completely ignited, "ATTACK!"

Hades, The Queen of Hearts, Clayton, and Frollo charged forward at different speeds, malice hardening their eyes.

"What now?" Harley asked.

"Claire, take on Frollo, he's an old man, so you should be able to defeat him easily. Harley, you've got the best weapon for fighting your mom and her scepter! Take her down! Fran, you're smart and good on your feet. Distract Clayton until Claire's finished with Frollo! I'll handle my father and try to unfreeze Mal, Evie, and Carlos!" Hayden ordered.

His friends nodded and ran off while Hayden looked down at the wand and staff in his hands.

 _I don't know how to use either of these. Dammit,_ he thought, _but maybe I can draw extra magic from the wand._

Hayden dropped the staff, pointed the wand at his Dad, and concentrated and forcing him to back up. He got way more than he bargained for.

Hades went flying backwards and slammed into a rock at least ten feet away from Hayden.

Given how powerful the wand was versus his dad's magic and how fast and angry is dad was, Hayden concluded that he would have least 3 minutes to try to lift the spell on someone.

 _Mal,_ he thought, _We need her magic. I'm not powerful enough yet to help them all on my own._

Hayden pointed the wand at Mal and focused, mumbling a spell in Greek under his breath. Mal began to blink, and then her jaw unfroze.

"Hayden, the staff! And the wand!" Mal cried.

"It's okay. We're trying to defend everyone. But we need your help." Hayden said, still concentrating on his spell.

"I can't! I need my arms to do magic! I still can't move!" Mal cried.

"Okay, I'm working it!" Hayden cried, frustrated.

"Hayden, behind you!" Mal cried.

Hayden turned too late, and his father pounced on him, grabbing the staff and trying to tear the wand from Hayden's grasp. Hayden struggled, trying to escape his father, but he was too heavy.

Hades suddenly grabbed Hayden's wrist and lit his hand up.

Hayden screamed and dropped the wand, feeling the fire burn the flesh on his wrist and travel down his arm.

Hades rose triumphantly with the wand and staff, and laughed maniacally.

He then cried in pain as a steel bat struck his stomach and crumpled.

Harley grabbed the wand and staff from him while Claire ran to his side and tried to put out the fire. Harley's eye was swollen shut and his mouth was bleeding, and Claire was breathing heavily from the sting of multiple whip lashes, but they were both fighting as hard as they could.

"What are you guys doing here?" Hayden gasped as Claire poured a full bottle of water onto Hayden's arm.

"I took down Frollo like you told me too. We tied him up and threw him back through the portal. Fran and I managed to knock out my dad using the stuff in my bag and the stuff around us-I had no idea Fran was so resourceful-and the Queen of Hearts is still out there, but she's running out of steam, given her size. We saw you were in trouble, so we decided to come and help you." Claire explained, pulling Hayden to his feet.

"Where's Fran?" Hayden asked.

Looking pained, Claire pointed to Fran's figure laying on the grass and said, "She took a hard blow from my dad while she was fighting, and now she's really hurt."

Hayden cursed and said, "So we're down one. Great. What now?"

"Now," said Mal, coming up to him with Evie and Carlos behind her, "You let us help you."

"Thank god!" Claire cried, grinning from ear to ear.

"Mal? I thought you said you couldn't use magic while you were immobilized." Hayden said, frowning.

"I was wrong. You were able to unfreeze me enough for me to access my magic. While Hades was distracted, I freed myself and then unfroze Carlos and Evie." Mal explained.

"So, what do you need us to do?" Carlos asked.

"Mal, I'll need your help taking out my dad. Carlos, Evie, help Claire and Harley finish off the Queen of Hearts, then we'll all defeat Hades together. And remember, keep the Queen away from Fran." Hayden commanded.

Harley and Claire suddenly screamed as Hades finally struck them with a blast of fire. Claire's leg and Harley's shirt ignited, and they screamed in pain and fear, making them drop the wand and staff.

"AND NOW I COMMAND, WAND TO MY HAND!" Mal cried, drawing the wand towards her as Hades reached for it.

At the same time, Hayden reached his hand out catch the staff while simultaneously dumping the contents of two plastic water bottles on Harley and Claire.

"You can two things at once with your magic?" Mal asked, amazed.

"Apparently." Hayden said, equally as shocked.

Hades roared in anger while Harley, Evie, Claire, and Carlos ran to face the Queen of Hearts, who was getting alarmingly close to Fran.

"Pain, Panic! To my side!" Hades cried shooting fireballs at the ground.

The flames quickly went out, and a skinny blue creature and a plump magenta creature stood in front of Hades.

"Hey," Panic realized, looking around, "We're in Auradon!"

"Yeah," Pain said, "It's been a long time since I was here."

"Guys, focus!" Hades cried, Pain and Panic snapping to attention, "I need you two to attack them and grab the wand and staff for me!"

"What?!" Panic cried, shaking from fear at Hayden, "But, but he's one of our masters! And your son!"

" _I_ am your master! And as your master, I order you to attack!" Hades snapped.

"But-!" Pain cried.

"NO BUTS! GO!" Hades roared, launching a fireball at them.

Panic and Pain yelped and charged, snarling.

Hayden looked ready to fight for a minute, but then faked a horrified gasp and cried, "Oh, no! Pain, you're on fire!"

"What?" Pain asked, he and Panic stopping.

Pain checked and realized that his butt was indeed burning. He and Panic screamed, and Pain yelled, "Put me out! PUT ME OUT!"

"No, no, no! Stay away from me!" Panic screamed as Pain ran towards him.

"Stop! STOP! Forget about the fire and attack! Hello, are you listening to me! STOP PANICKING AND ATTACK!" Hades roared at his minions.

But Pain and Panic were too alarmed and busy running around to pay any heed to their master, making Hayden and Mal laugh.

"IDIOTS! GO HOME!" Hades bellowed, using his magic to pick them up and throw them through the portal.

He then turned back to them and snarled, "Well played, Hayden. But I won't be defeated so easily!"

Hades summoned monsters made of bones, and they charged at Hayden and Mal.

"Aim for their heads!" Hayden called to Mal, "That's their weak point! Decapitate them and the spell will break, and they'll turn to dust!"

Mal nodded rolled out of the way of a giant bird that almost swooped down on her.

It screeched and took to the air again, getting ready to dive bomb Mal. She rolled out of the way again and used the break spell from the book her mother had given her. The bird's neck broke so much that it's head fell off. The bird collapsed mid-flight and disintegrated into dust by her feet.

Mal felt bad for a second, but then a skeletal lion with a human's face and scorpion tail pounced on her. Mal dodged its powerful jaws and used Fairy Godmother's wand to produce a bright light. The lion creature roared and backed off of her, blinded. Mal rose to her feet and chanted the break spell again. The beast lost its head and turned to dust.

Mal continued the process with each monster she faced, sustaining only a few small injuries along the way. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hayden using both his fire and magic-which had grown more powerful from drawing the magic in Jafar's staff.

Eventually, they were fighting back to back against the remaining beasts summoned by Hades.

"This kind of reminds me of old times." Hayden said, sweaty and out of breath.

"Uh, how?" Mal asked, petrifying a skeletal snake with fangs like a sabertooth tiger.

"Fending for ourselves against a gang." Hayden explained.

Mal remembered the times he was talking about, where they had been cornered by villain kid gang and shuddered.

"Yeah, kind of." Mal agreed.

Hayden opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but decided against it.

When Mal and Hayden got closer to Hades, they could hear him yelling and blasts of fire, and other voices crying out, too. As they defeated the last monster, they saw what was causing the commotion.

Evie, Carlos, Claire, and Harley were fighting Hades, and they weren't giving him an inch. Every time he tried to strike one of them, another attacked him, causing him to miss over and over.

"STOP IT!" Hades yelled, "OW!" "HOLD STILL!" "OW!" "I HATE YOU ALL!" "OW!"

Hayden smirked, and his eyes glowed blue.

Obsidian black chains suddenly ensnared Hades, pinning his legs together and his arms at his sides. He struggled to free himself, but the chains only tightened, and his fire couldn't melt them.

"HOW DARE YOU USE THE CHAINS OF THE DEAD ON ME!" Hades roared at Hayden.

"I did what I had to protect your friends. You endangered me, my home, and everyone I care about. And so now, you're getting punished for your evilness." Hayden said, using his magic to lift Hades into the air.

Hayden threw Hades towards the portal, and his father shouted, "Tell Andrew he's welcome for those awesome fire powers I gave him! And you're welcome for breaking you up from Mal, Hayden!"

Hades disappeared into the portal, and it slowly fizzled out until there was nothing left but blue smoke.

"What did he mean by all that?" Mal asked Hayden.

Hayden's eyes were filled with anger, hurt, and sorrow as he said, "My dad may have been lying, but it sounds like he's the one who cursed Andrew somehow. And what he said about you and me...I never wanted to break up with you, Mal. I really did care about you. Loved you, even. You were the only thing on the Isle that made me truly happy. But my dad found out about us and forced me to break up with you, otherwise he'd hurt, maybe even kill, Hadie and Hazel. He's the one that set up the trap, and forced me to lead you into it. I wish I could've helped you. It broke my heart watching you get hurt, and they way you looked and acted around me afterwards. I'm so sorry, Mal."

Mal put her hand on Hayden's shoulder, and said, "I forgive you. For everything."

Hayden smiled and said, "Do you think we can put the past behind us and become friends, then?"

Mal nodded, and Carlos said, "Uh, guys? We've got problems to take care of first."

"Right." Hayden said, "Can I borrow the wand?"

Mal gave him Fairy Godmother's wand, and Hayden's eyes glowed blue as he prepared a spell. He then made a sharp swiping motion with the wand, everyone unfroze as a blue light flew over them.

The Auradon Prep students stared in shock at the VKs, and then slowly, everyone began to clap and cheer, even Mal, Evie, and Carlos.

Hayden, Harley, and Claire smiled sheepishly, Harley's face turning pink, Hayden fidgeting, and Claire staring at the ground.

A loud moan from Fran suddenly stole everyone's attention.

"Oh my god, Fran!" Hayden cried, grabbing his bag and running over to her, trying to ignore the pain in his arm.

Fran was laying on the ground gasping, making a horrible croaking noise. She kept coughing up blood, and her eyes were watered with pain.

"What's wrong with her?" Ben asked.

Hayden winced and said, "Judging by all the signs, it sounds like she broke some ribs and they've punctured her lungs."

"Well, then, we need to call an ambulance!" Mal cried.

"No need." Ruby said, stepping forward, "I can help her."

"That's right, your gift!" Harley exclaimed, beaming.

"Do you mind, Fairy Godmother? I know it involves magic." Ruby asked her.

"I'll allow it just this once." Fairy Godmother said kindly.

"So I can only heal Fran? What about Hayden, Harley, and Claire? They need help, too." Ruby asked.

"That's what I meant. You can help them all, just this once." Fairy Godmother explained.

"Thank you." Ruby said, as she undid her braid.

She laid down perpendicular to Fran, laid her hair across Fran's chest, and began to sing.

"Watch this. It's awesome." Harley whispered to his friends.

Ruby's hair started gently glowing as she sang, and slowly Fran's breath became steadier and less ragged.

When Ruby finished singing, Fran's breath was back to normal, and she sat up and stared at Ruby.

"Wow." she whispered.

"I know! Isn't that amazing?!" Harley asked, making Ruby blush.

Ruby walked up to him and asked, "Can I heal you next, Harley?"

Harley nodded and laid down, feeling his heart pound and face turn red.

"Thank you for saving us, by the way." Ruby said softly.

"You're welcome. I'm sorry we took the wand and staff and let our parents in." Harley said, looking at Ruby through his one good eye.

"I forgive you." Ruby said kindly as she put her hair on his face.

Ruby sang her healing incantation, making Harley's mouth stop bleeding and his swollen eye open.

Harley sat up and beamed at Ruby, his eyes shining.

"You're incredible." he whispered.

Ruby hid her face in her hands and said, "Thanks. I'm going to go tend to, uh, Claire now, okay?"

Ruby healed Claire and Hayden, and told Hayden sadly, "There's only so much I can do for that burn. It's going to scar."

"Okay." Hayden said, shrugging.

"Why is that not a big deal to you?" Ruby asked, confused.

Hayden sighed and said, "This is why."

He took off his shirt, and everyone gasped. Hayden's back was covered in burn scars, some looking like they were years old, others looking very recent.

"Do they hurt?" Jane asked, looking horrified.

"No. Not anymore." Hayden said, his voice full of melancholy.

"He's not the only one with scars." Fran said, removing her shirt as well to reveal marks from her father's whip across her back.

Claire also took hers off, showing multiple cuts across her chest.

"How did you get that?" Mason asked quietly, running up to her.

"Sometimes when my dad got mad and Clay or I, he'd cut us with his hunting knife. He always kept it sharp for when it happened." Claire explained.

"Who's Clay?" Mason asked, his voice breaking.

"My twin brother." Claire said sadly.

Mason took a shaky breath and wrapped his arms around Claire, pulling her to his chest.

"What are you doing?" Claire asked, tensing.

"It's called a hug. It's a way of showing affection here in Auradon. You're supposed to hug me back." Mason explained, tears falling out of his eyes.

Claire hugged Mason back and felt her body relax.

"This is really nice." Claire moaned, making Mason grin.

"Yeah, well, enjoy it while it lasts. You all are getting expelled for this." Chad said coldly.

" _What?!"_ Everyone asked him.

"Thievery, assaulting a student, assaulting a teacher, illegal use of magic, letting your parents into Auradon, and fighting? There's no way you four are staying. You may be 'good' but you're still way too violent. Have fun facing your parents." Chad sneered.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!" Mason roared, letting go of Claire and marching into Chad's face, "THEY JUST SAVED OUR LIVES, YOU SELFISH BASTARD!"

"They're the ones who let their parents in in the first place." Chad said, raising his arms in self defense.

"On _accident_." Ruby snapped, joining Mason, "The potion fell out of Hayden's bag and broke. It wasn't his fault."

"We took the wand at Ben's coronation and we're still here!" Mal piped up.

"And I actually ripped the wand out of my mother's hand and accidentally let Maleficent in. I'm still enrolled here." Jane pointed out, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"You guys never hurt anyone during the coronation fiasco. And Fairy Godmother wouldn't expel her own daughter." Chad countered.

"Everyone, that's enough, please. Hayden, Claire, Fran, Harley, I'll need to speak with you in my office tomorrow. Now, let's all enjoy the meteor shower together, okay?" Fairy Godmother said kindly.

Chad smirked and mouthed "Bye-bye" to the new VKs before going to sit down.

"Are we really going back to the Isle?" Hayden asked, going to sit next to Mal, Jay, Carlos, Evie, and Freddie.

"Not on your life. We'll talk to her. Someone that brave shouldn't have to go back to a prison island, especially since they saved our lives." Freddie said confidently as Fran, Claire, and Harley sat down with them.

"But Chad-!" Claire cried.

"Is an arrogant, selfish asshole who's extremely biased against villain kids. He'll say anything to upset you. You have to be careful around him." Jay advised.

"We'll make sure you don't go back to the Isle. Just trust us. One family, forever, right?" Evie asked.

Claire, Fran, Harley, and Hayden smiled and nodded, then turned towards the night sky as streaks of white began flashing across the darkness.

As the shooting stars flew through the atmosphere, each of the VKs made a wish.

 _I wish to become someone good enough for Ben to continue loving._ Mal wished.

 _I wish for my fashion line to take off, and for Dizzy to come to Auradon,_ Evie thought.

 _I wish to heal quickly, and for a new adventure with our new friends,_ Jay thought.

 _I wish I had the courage to ask Jane out._ Carlos wished.

 _I wish people would stop seeing me as a creepy voodoo girl._ Freddie thought.

 _I wish to stay in Auradon, and fulfill my dream of practicing medicine and saving lives._ Hayden wished.

 _I wish to stay in Auradon, and for Hayden to fall in love with me._ Fran wished.

 _I wish to stay here, for Ruby to be mine forever, and to prove that I'm not the temperamental, evil prince I once was._ Harley thought.

 _My wish is to stay in Auradon, for Mason and I to be together forever, and that Clay stays safe and his condition gets fixed once he's in Auradon._ Claire wished.


	13. Moving Forward

Chapter 13: Moving Forward

The intercom throughout the school, and Fairy Godmother's voice called, "Will Fran Frollo, Hayden, Claire Clayton, and Harley Hearts please report to the headmistress's office?"

"Already?" Fran asked, dropping a bundle of clothes, "I haven't finished packing!"

"I guess we'll have to finish when Fairy Godmother's done telling us we're expelled." Claire said sadly.

Fran's face fell, and she mumbled, "Yeah, I guess so."

"At least we'll still have the four of us." Claire said, walking towards the door.

"Yeah…" Fran said, smiling sadly, following Claire out the door.

They met up with Hayden and Harley, who were looking equally as somber, and walked to Fairy Godmother's office hand in hand.

Hayden took a deep breath and knocked on Fairy Godmother's door.

"Come in." she said cheerily.

Hayden opened the door, and Harley, Fran, and Claire shuffled in.

"Good morning, Harley, Claire, Hayden, and Fran." Fairy Godmother said kindly, "Please take a seat."

Claire plopped down in her chair, Hayden sat casually, and Harley and Fran took a seat the "proper way" their parents had taught them.

"So, you all-!"

Fairy Godmother was suddenly cut off by a hasty knock on her door.

"Er...come in." Fairy Godmother said, a bit confused.

Evie, Carlos, Jay, and Mal bustled in, panting from running.

"Fairy Godmother, I know what they did was wrong, but you can't expel them!" Mal cried.

"Mal, I-!" Fairy Godmother said patiently.

"We know they did bad things, but if you're going to expel them, you'll have to expel us, too, for what we did!" Jay said defiantly.

"I know, Jay-!" Fairy Godmother said as Mason, his sisters, and Ruby came rushing in.

"Fairy Godmother, you _have_ to give them another chance! They didn't _mean_ to let their parents in!" Ruby pleaded, looking panicked.

"They've shown they're capable of being good. That's all that's needed to live in Auradon, right? Having a good heart? They've shown that they're good deep down and chose to revoke their evil DNA. They should stay here." Mason argued, while his sisters nodded.

"If everyone could calm down and let me explain-!" Fairy Godmother asked, her voice a bit strained.

Jane and Ben then came bursting through the door, and Jane cried, "Mom, please don't send them back to the Isle!"

"Fairy Godmother, I take full responsibility for their actions since I'm the one who brought them here. Please punish me and not them." Ben requested.

Soon the room was filled with shouting as everyone pleaded and argued for the new VKs to stay in Auradon.

Hayden stared at his friends, confused.

Harley looked equally as mystified, Claire shrugged, and Fran mouthed, "Wow".

"Everyone...Everyone, please...CHILDREN!" Fairy Godmother cried, raising her voice and getting to her feet.

Everyone instantly quieted down, the AKs looking embarrassed.

"This is a private conversation I need to have with Harley, Claire, Hayden, and Fran _alone_. You can wait outside if you want, but please leave my office." Fairy Godmother said kindly but firmly.

"Yes ma'am." everyone said as they walked out, trying not to look afraid.

"We already know what you're going to say, Fairy Godmother." Fran said sullenly, staring at her lap, "You're expelling us for what we did. We've already started packing our bags."

Fairy Godmother frowned, looking from Fran, to Harley, to Claire, to Hayden.

"Children, what on Earth made you think you were getting expelled?" Fairy Godmother asked.

"What?" the VKs asked her.

"I'm not expelling you four. True, you did lie, steal, commit fraud, sneak out of school during an in-school suspension, throw a rock at me and Mal, and create a potion that opened a portal that let your parents in, but you were also the ones who bravely stood up to them and stopped them from getting Jafar's scepter or my wand. And, like Mason said, you have proven that you are good at heart and show desire to change for the better, which is all I was expecting from you. The reason why I brought you here is so I could tell you that all four of you have earned an A in goodness class, and are ready to move up into Remedial Goodness 102 with your friends." Fairy Godmother said kindly.

"'Remedial Goodness 102?'" Harley asked, frowning.

"It's a more advanced goodness class. You'll learn how to solve more complex real world problems, as well as how to make friends, have a polite conversation, how to handle someone getting upset with you, and things like that." Fairy Godmother explained.

"Will it be less boring than Remedial Goodness 101?" Harley asked.

Fairy Godmother frowned and asked, "You think the 101 class is boring?"

The VKs nodded, and Fairy Godmother put a finger to her chin and said, "Hmm. Well, that's disappointing. Maybe sometime we can have a meeting to discuss how to make the class more interesting for the next villain children who enroll."

"So, we're staying?! Like, for real?!" Claire asked excitedly.

"Only if you want to." Fairy Godmother said, beaming.

"Yes! Thank you!" Claire sobbed, pulling Fairy Godmother into a hug.

"What are you doing, Claire?" Hayden asked.

"It's called a hug. Mason showed it to me last night. It's a way of showing affection or gratitude for someone." Claire said, her voice muffled against Fairy Godmother's dress.

"Also," Fairy Godmother added, looking at the other three VKs, "It's perfectly acceptable for multiple people to hug a person at once."

Hayden, Harley, and Fran got up, and hugged Fairy Godmother, thanking her and sobbing against her dress.

Once they had calmed down, Fairy Godmother pulled away, and said, "You should go tell your friends the good news. They'll be waiting."

Hayden, Claire, Harley, and Fran nodded, dried their eyes and blew their noses, and stepped out of Fairy Godmother's office.

A large crowd had gathered, some talking to each other quietly, other standing silently, everyone nervous. All the chatter instantly ceased, though, as all eyes turned to them expectantly.

"We're not expelled!" Hayden announced, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"You're _not?!_ " everyone asked.

"Nope! We're staying in Auradon and we're enrolled in Remedial Goodness 102!" Claire exclaimed, barely containing her excitement.

Everyone cheered and ran to congratulate them, sighs of relief echoing through the room.

"Harley!" Ruby cried, pushing her way through the crowd, "HARLEY!"

"RUBY!" Harley exclaimed as she ran into his arms, her hair glowing.

Harley picked her up and spun her around in a circle before setting her on the floor, making her giggle with delight.

"I'm glad you're okay! I was so worried!" Ruby cried, still holding onto him.

"Yeah, me too." Harley said, "I'm glad everything turned out alright."

His face then turned red and he said, "Uh, so...There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"What?" Ruby asked, her round eyes curious.

"Uh...so...uh…" Harley stumbled, "Um, well...from that first day we met, I felt something in you I'd never felt in anyone else. You actually saw past my evilness and tried to help me, even though I didn't deserve it. And from then on, I just got more and more attracted to you. Now whenever I think of you or I'm with you, my heart starts pounding, my face flushes, I can't stop smiling, and I get tongue-tied. I didn't know what it was at first, but now I do. I love you, Ruby. And your love began changing me for the better. So, uh...do you, uh...will you be my girlfriend?"

Ruby's eyes went wide, and she covered her mouth in shock, her hair getting brighter.

"You mean it?!" she cried.

"Yeah." Harley said sheepishly.

"YES!" she squealed, her hair glowing so bright it blinded everyone, making them cry out in pain.

"Oops." Ruby said, her hair returning to normal, "Sorry. That happens when I get excited."

"Wow." Harley said, rubbing his eyes, "Remind me to always have sunglasses on hand when I'm with you."

Ruby giggled and leaned into Harley, closing her eyes.

It took Harley a few seconds to realize what she wanted. He closed his eyes, separated his lips, and met hers perfectly. He felt like everything cell in his body was tingling, and he lost all of his other senses except the touch of Ruby's lips against his.

Too soon, Ruby pulled away, out of breath and eyes shining.

"I love you, too, Harley. I'm so glad you're staying." Ruby whispered, pulling him into a hug.

"So, this is the guy you've been telling about recently." a new voice said behind Ruby.

A girl who looked a lot like Ruby except for her low ponytailed hair, glasses and dark eyes stood nearby, wearing a pink blouse, a soft pink cardigan, purple jeans, and pink flats with flower earrings, a sun necklace that matched Ruby's, and fancy purple ring on her right hand.

"Oh, hey! Gosh, why do I keep forgetting to introduce you two? Harley, this is my big sister Anxelin. Anxelin, this Harley, the guy I was talking about." Ruby said.

Anxelin extended her arm at Harley and said, "It's nice meeting you. Ruby's told me a lot about you."

"Why are you holding your arm out to me?" Harley asked, staring at it.

"Oh, it's called a handshake. It's how you greet someone the first time you meet them in Auradon. Just put your hand in hers and move your arm up and down." Ruby explained.

Harley did as Ruby instructed, and said, "It's nice meeting you, too. I hope Ruby hasn't said anything bad about me."

"Far from it." Anxelin teased, withdrawing her arm, "She couldn't stop singing your praises. She was like, 'He's got the most gorgeous brown eyes, and he's so smart, and his smile's so attractive, and a I wish I could give him a huge kiss on the cheek'!"

"ANXELIN!" Ruby screeched, making everyone around them stare and Anxelin and Harley laugh.

"You're so annoying sometimes." Ruby grumbled.

"I was teasing you." Anxelin said, smirking at her sister.

"Whatever." Ruby said, rolling her eyes but smiling.

Her hair turned a bit darker as her face grew serious and she asked, "Anxelin...do you think Mom and Dad will approve?"

" _What?!_ Of course they will! Why wouldn't they?" Anxelin asked.

"Harley's a VK. Up until now, he was evil. And lots of good people in Auradon have vendettas against VKs, even if they didn't personally effect theirs or their parents lives. What if Mom and Dad are like that?" Ruby asked, her hair becoming a very light gray.

"Mom and Dad would _never_. Remember their story? Dad used to be a criminal _himself_ before finding Mom. If anyone will understand, it'll be them." Anxelin said soothingly.

"Thanks," Ruby said, hugging her sister.

"No problem, baby sis." Anxelin said, hugging her back and her hair starting to shine.

"Stop calling me that! You're only a year older than me!" Ruby snapped, pulling away from Anxelin.

"Uh, guys? I'm still here." Harley pointed out.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Harley." Ruby apologized.

Ruby suddenly gasped and her hair began to shine.

"I just had the perfect idea for our first date! There's an art festival going on downtown this weekend. We could go there, and I could give you a tour of the city!" Ruby cried, beaming.

"I'd love that!" Harley said excitedly.

"I thought so. There's so many amazing things in Auradon City that I know you'll just love!" Ruby said.

Claire was swarmed by people congratulating her and telling her about new things she should try now that she was staying. From the corner of her eye, she saw Hayden and Fran equally as swarmed, while Harley and Ruby were busy chatting and looked super in love. They were such a cute couple.

"Claire." A boy with a Scottish accent said warmly.

She turned and found Mason staring at her with huge smile on his face.

Claire felt a smile build on her face and her heartbeat speed up as she looked into his gorgeous obsidian eyes.

"Mason…" she whimpered, pulling him into a giant hug.

Mason hugged her back and whispered, "I was so worried that you were going to be sent away, and I'd never see you again."

"I was, too." Claire mumbled, "Mason, will you be my boyfriend?"

"What?" Mason asked, pulling away from Claire.

Claire covered her mouth, embarrassed. She hadn't meant to say it.

"What did you say?" Mason asked, his eyes both confused and hopeful.

Claire took that as a good sign and said, "I really like you, Mason. I think I may even be in love with you. If it's alright with you, I thought you and I could try...dating?"

"Absolutely!" Mason said, his eyes lighting up with joy, "I've been dying to tell you I feel the same way about you!"

"Really?!" Claire squealed.

"YES!" Mason cried.

"Oh, Mason!" Claire cried, leaping into his arms.

Mason grabbed her tightly, and she could hear his heart pounding and rapid breathing. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever heard.

Mason lightly touched her chin, gently pulled her head up to look at him, and leaned into her.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Claire cried, putting her hand up and turning her head away.

Mason leaned back and stared at her.

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet." Claire apologized.

Mason smiled and said, "Alright. I'll wait until you're ready, then."

"Thanks." Claire said, "So, do you have any first date ideas in mind?"

"Do you like action movies? There's a really cool new action movie that's going to be coming the local movie theater on Friday." Mason suggested.

"Sounds perfect." Claire said, feeling her face starting to turn pink as she gazed in Mason's beautiful eyes.

Hayden gazed in Mal's direction, taking in her beautiful violet hair and shamrock eyes. She looked so in love with Ben, gazing at him adoringly, grinning from ear to ear, not letting go of his hand.

Hayden bit his lip, trying to swallow the pain of heart breaking.

 _This is for the best,_ he told himself, _She's finally happy. Ben cares for her and loves her the way she deserves. They're a great couple, and they go really well together. That's all that matters._

 _SHE'D STILL BE MINE IF DAD HADN'T INTERFERED,_ the other half of his brain argued.

 _And then she might have left you for Ben. It's easier this way._ Hayden countered.

"Hayden," Evie asked sadly as she walked up to him, "You're _still_ in love with Mal?"

"What are you talking about?" Hayden asked, frowning at Evie.

"Don't lie to me, Hayden. I saw the way you were looking at Mal." Evie scolded.

Hayden stared at the floor and mumbled, "I know, it's selfish. I just can't help but wish I'd not listened to my dad that day. Maybe she'd still be mine."

"Hayden…" Evie said sadly.

"I'm happy for them, really." Hayden said, looking at Mal and Ben again, "It's just...why does a broken heart hurt so much?"

"Hayden, I-!" Evie said soothingly.

"I'm going to go back to my dorm and unpack. Not really much point in hanging around here. See you guys at lunch." Hayden said, his voice breaking as he bowed his head and shuffled away.

"Hayden, wait!" Evie cried. But it was too late. He'd gotten lost in the crowd.

Evie quickly pulled out her phone and texted her friends, "Love emergency! Meet me in my dorm ASAP! Don't tell Mal."

Evie's phone beeped, and Audrey asked, "Y?"

"Could upset Mal and mess up her relationship w/ Ben. I'll explain more later." Evie texted back.

"K." Audrey replied.

Evie glanced over at Fran who was frowning in concern in the direction Hayden had left.

 _She's our only chance at mending his heart without tearing Mal and Ben apart. We_ have _to bring them together._ Evie thought, determined.

"Ally?" Harley asked, coming up behind her.

Ally turned and flinched, trying to stop her knees from shaking.

"What do you want, Harley?" Ally asked, trying to sound brave.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry." Harley said sincerely.

"Wh-what?" Ally asked, straightening up.

"I'm sorry for terrorizing you. I realize now that it was wrong and cruel of me to do so, since you're probably terrified of my mom. I know we're not supposed to get along because you're the daughter of Alice, and my mom's the Queen of Hearts, and you'll probably never forgive my mom for what she did, but...do you think you could try giving me a chance? And maybe become friends?" Harley asked, his palms sweating.

Ally stared at him, looking like she was trying to figure out what trick he was playing on her.

Hayden smiled nervously, trying to genuine and sincere, someone worthy of being trusted.

It convinced Ally, as she said, "Okay, I'll try. But if you make any threatening move towards me, my mom, or my friends, our friendship's off."

"Deal," Harley said, beaming, and offering his arm out of shake.

Ally hesitated, and then shook his hand, slowly relaxing.

"So, what other kids from Wonderland live here?" Harley asked.

"Well, there's Claw Cheshire, son of the Cheshire Cat, Matt Hatter, son of the Mad Hatter, Pearl and Ivory Queen, the White Queen's daughters, and Hopper White, the White Rabbit's son." Ally explained.

"Oh, that's cool. Can I meet them? I've always wanted to know what Wonderland's like!" Harley said eagerly.

"Er, I'm afraid not. They all live pretty far from here. Maybe at Auradon Day." Ally said kindly.

"What's Auradon Day?" Harley asked.

"It's a national holiday where the whole country gets together in a host city to celebrate the defeat of evil and the merging of the kingdoms to form Auradon. It's the best holiday in Auradon, in my opinion! There's a parade with candy and fireworks on the first night, and then a weeklong festival, with rides, games, food, face painting, crafts, live performances, and contests, and then at the end of the week, there's a grand ball!" Ally said excitedly.

"Ah," Harley said sadly, bowing his head, "That sounds fun, but not something meant for VKs."

"Well, I'm sure they'll make an exception for you guys! I mean, sure your parents are villains, but you're not evil like them, and you're going to be living here with us. And I'm sure once the people in charge of planning it find out that villain kids are attending, they'll try to make it as inoffensive as possible." Ally said quickly, not wanting to upset Harley.

Ally's phone suddenly made a small bell ringing sound, and she picked up her phone and frowned at her screen.

"What's wrong?" Harley asked.

"I just got a weird text message from Mal. I need to go. See you tomorrow, Harley!" Ally said, giving a small smile.

"Yeah, you too." Harley said smiling back.

As Ally left, Harley breathed a sigh of relief, thanking his luck that his first friendly interaction with Ally had gone well. Now all he had to do was keep it up.

"Harley!" Fran cried, coming up to him with Claire behind her.

"What's up?" Harley asked.

"Claire just had the most excellent idea! When our final classes are done for the day, we should all go shopping for new clothes and stuff for our dorms." Fran said excitedly.

"Uh, why?" Harley asked looking at Claire.

"I just thought we should get some clothes that display more of our good side rather than the evil our parents wanted us to be. Plus, we don't have a lot in terms of personal items. It might be nice to get some things that look good in our dorms and show off who we really are." Claire suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds awesome. Let's totally do that." Harley said excitedly.

"I just hope Hayden's up for it." Fran said sadly, her face falling.

"What do you mean?" Harley asked, frowning.

"I saw Hayden sulking off to his room earlier. He looked really upset about something." Fran reported.

"Ah. Maybe I can talk to him about it?" Harley suggested.

"Everyone," Fairy Godmother called, "Classes will be starting in 2 minutes. I suggest you all hurry before you receive tardies."

All of the students panicked and ran off in different directions towards their first classes of the day, Harley shooting Hayden a quick text before dashing off, he and Claire and Fran still elated to be staying in Auradon.

 _Later that day…_

Mal was putting her school supplies in her locker and taking out her weekend homework when Hayden said, "Hey, Mal."

"Hey, Hayd-Woah!" she cried, turning to face him.

Hayden had been transformed. His giant mohawk had been styled into medium length hair that was spread across his scalp and went down to about half of the back of his neck. He'd kept his flaming skull t-shirt and metal skull ring, but now he also wore dark blue distressed jeans instead of heavily shredded black ones, and black sneakers with neon blue laces. He looked less evil and more like a fan of rock music.

"What do you think?" Hayden asked sheepishly.

"I like it. It suits you. But I think you should really be asking Evie that question, since she's a fashion expert." Mal suggested.

"What's up?" Evie asked from the locker next to Mal's.

"What do you think?" Mal asked, pointing at Hayden's new look.

"Wow." Evie said, examining Hayden from head to toe, "Well, for starters, I love the new hairstyle. It's a lot better than that ridiculous mohawk you had."

"Thanks." Hayden said, smiling, "I never realized how heavy it was. This feels a thousand times lighter."

"I bet. Your clothes look really good, too. You could definitely pair a leather jacket with that outfit when the weather gets colder. But you should really try to find colors other than black, white, gray, and blue." Evie critiqued.

"I don't know what other colors go good with blue hair." Hayden said.

"Well, that's what's awesome about blue, it can go with almost anything. Red would really make a statement on you, and then cool colors like purple and green, and earthy tones like brown. Just don't wear too much blue, because otherwise that'll look odd, and orange would clash."

"Thanks, Evie." Hayden said kindly as his Fran, Claire, and Harley showed up behind him.

"Wow, you guys look awesome, too!" Mal said, beaming at her new friends.

Harley had gotten rid of the red streaks in his hair and his long collared vest, and wore a red t-shirt that said "Heart Stealer" with a heart that looked like it had been painted on, white tennis shorts with black and yellow stripes on the sides, and black shoes with red laces.

Claire wore an army camouflage shirt with "Hardcore" written in pink block letters, an arrowhead necklace, black khaki shorts, and red high top shoes.

Fran had on a frilled lavender thin strapped tank top with a long white lace vest on top, dark skinny jeans with sequins on the pockets, black leather flats with leather bows on them, black nails, a gold cross necklace, a shiny royal purple bracelet, and makeup on her face.

"Yeah, you all look wonderful! Fran, I love your makeup and nails!" Evie said, nodding in approval.

"Thanks, Audrey showed me how." Fran said, smiling warmly.

"By the way, Lonnie and Jane told us you know a spell that makes hair look better, and that's why their hair looks so awesome?" Claire asked Mal.

"Uh, yeah, why?" Mal asked, frowning.

"Could you do mine and Fran's hair? Please?" Claire asked.

"I don't know. I'm not supposed to be using magic." Mal said hesitantly.

"Mal, please. My hair's so short it's hideous, and Claire's hair is a train wreck! No offense, Claire." Fran pleaded.

"None taken." Claire said flatly.

Mal bit her lip, debating what to do as Fran and Claire looked at her with pleading, hopeful eyes.

"Alright," Mal said, reaching into her locker to get her spell book.

Fran and Claire squealed with delight and high-fived.

"So, which one of you is going first?" Mal asked, flipping her book open to the right page.

"Claire can go first. Her hair needs more help than mine." Fran offered.

"Really? That's so kind of you." Claire said, smiling at her friend.

"Well, I've gotta make up for ruining your hair somehow." Fran said.

"Are you okay with going first, Claire?" Mal asked.

Claire nodded and eagerly said, "I'm ready!"

"Beware, for swear, replace the old with new hair." Mal chanted, moving her finger as she spoke.

Claire's head jerked left, then right, then she bent over, and then she straightened with Mal's finger.

Instantly, the red streaks in her hair dissolved as her hair once again became even. Her hair grew to her collarbone, and gray and white streaks appeared behind both of her ears.

"Wow. Claire, that looks so cool!" Fran said earnestly.

"Yeah. That really suits you, Claire." Evie said appreciatively.

"Can I see?" Claire asked.

Evie pulled out her magic mirror and gave it to Claire. Claire gazed at her reflection and gasped, a smile spreading across her face as she examined her new hairdo.

"I love it!" she cried, turning her head from left to right, "The streaks are _so awesome!_ And I can tie my hair back for when I play tourney. That is, assuming that I stay on the team." Claire said, a bit nervous.

"I think you will. They'd have to be a fool not to let you keep playing." Hayden said kindly.

Fran beamed and said, "My turn! Ready whenever you are, Mal!"

"Beware, for swear, replace the old with cool hair." Mal chanted, using the same motions she had with Claire.

Fran's head jerked around, and when she sat up again, her hair grew until it reached her upper back and curled up at the ends, her bangs disappearing to the sides of her head for a side-swept look.

"Wow, Fran!" Evie said, staring in awe.

"That's so pretty!" Claire said, smiling.

"Let me see!" Fran demanded.

Evie gave Fran the magic mirror, and she gasped softly, staring at her reflection in shock.

"Is this...really me?" she asked softly.

"It sure is. My magic mirror never lies." Evie said proudly.

"I'm...I'm... _beautiful!"_ Fran cried, laughing in excitement, "If only my father could see me now! He always called me ugly! Who's the ugly one now, Father?!"

"You look amazing, Fran." Hayden said, unable to take his eyes off of her.

"Thanks, Hayden." Fran said shyly.

"So, now that we're friends, can we sit with you two, Jay, Carlos, and Freddie at dinner tonight?" Harley asked.

"I'm cool with it. What about you, Evie?" Mal asked, putting her spell book back in her locker.

"I don't see why they can't. And I think everyone else will be okay with it, too." Evie said kindly.

"Thanks. You guys are awesome!" Claire said.

"We're all awesome. We're an awesome family of good villain kids." Mal said, smiling at Hayden, Claire, Fran, and Harley, who smiled back, but something looked off in Hayden's eyes.

"Well, see you guys at dinner, then!" Evie said, quickly pulling Mal away.

"Okay, bye." Fran called, confused.

 _At dinner…_

"Mason!" Claire cried, running up to him, "Mason, _look!"_

"What's-?!" Mason asked, turning to her.

Mason's jaw dropped as he saw her, examining her from head to toe, eyes wide.

"Do you like it?" Claire asked sheepishly.

" _Like it?_ I love it!" Mason cried, a smile quickly spreading across his face, "You look awesome! And your hair! How did you get it like that?"

"Mal used her magic on it." Claire explained.

"That's so cool! Those streaks are _awesome!_ You look wonderful, Claire. You should come sit with me, my sisters, and my friends." Mason said, staring at her with adoring eyes.

"Thanks," Claire said, staring at the ground, "But I'm going to go sit with my friends tonight. Does tomorrow work?"

"Tomorrow sounds perfect." Mason said, grinning like an idiot.

"Alright, then. See you tomorrow." Claire said, going to join her friends at their table.

"And then Ruby was like, 'You look like an athlete! I had no idea you were so muscular!' Oh, hey Claire! We were wondering where you were!" Harley said as Claire set her tray down and took a seat.

"I was showing Mason my new look." Claire said, smiling unabashedly.

"I take it that it went really well? Freddie asked, smirking.

"Yeah, he loved it. He said my streaks are awesome." Claire said, her face turning baby pink.

"They are really cool, Claire. They really suit you." Carlos complimented.

"Not as cool as your hair. I love the white on top of the black." Claire replied.

"Thanks." Carlos said, smiling.

"How are your injuries, Jay?" Claire asked.

Jay shrugged and said, "They don't hurt anymore, so I take it that they're healing. I keep having girls come up to me asking if they can sign my cast, though."

Everyone at the table laughed, and Fran asked, "How long until you're fully healed?"

"The doctor said the cast should come off in 2-6 weeks, and since my sprained ankle was labeled moderate, it'll take 2-6 weeks for that to heal, too." Jay reported.

"Oh, good. So you won't be out for the rest of the season." Hayden said, smiling.

"Yeah, thank goodness. Thanks for helping me out, there, by the way." Jay said.

Hayden shrugged and said, "Friends help each other, don't they? You needed help, so I helped you."

"Speaking of tourney, do you think they'll let me stay on the team?" Claire asked nervously.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" the tourney coach called from the stage, the room falling silent instantly.

"Well, that was good timing." Mal said, to be greeted by a chorus of "Sh".

"As you all know, we had a recent, unexpected addition to the team. A person who falsified themself in order to play tourney alongside the other boys on our Auradon Prep Knights team. Claire Clayton, would you mind joining me on the stage?" the coach asked.

Claire swallowed and walked towards the coach, trying to ignore the whispers around her and her rapidly beating heart.

"Claire, you did break one of the rules of tourney-no girls on the team. You did also lie to us, use magic illegally, and, if I'm not mistaken, snook out of school during an in-school suspension, is that right?" the coach asked.

"Yes, coach." Claire mumbled, staring at the floor.

"Could you repeat that, Claire? And speak up, please?" Coach requested.

"I said, yes, coach." Claire said, straightening up.

The coach nodded and said, "However, you have also shown that you are devoted to this team, skilled at our game, and are good at heart. So, after much deliberation, I have decided…"

Coach reached into a cardboard box, and pulled out a blue tourney jersey that said Claire on the back, with the number 59 on her jersey.

"To welcome you to the team, Claire!" the coach finished, beaming.

" _What?!"_ Chad cried, shooting to his feet, "Coach, you can't be serious!"

"I am serious, Chad. Claire is joining our team." the coach said cooly.

"Coach, she's a _girl!_ Girls can't play tourney! We'll be the laughing stock of the league!" Chad cried angrily.

"Yeah, until they see how good I am, and how I make this team better! And then other schools will add girls to their team, and then override that stupid rule, and people like you will look like an idiot!" Claire snapped.

Chad bared his teeth and clenched his fists, his princely demeanor rapidly dissolving.

"Well, I'm not going to stand around and watch us become a _joke._ If she's joining the team, I'm leaving it!"

"Chad, don't be ridiculous!" Jay piped up, "She deserves to be on the team!"

"You're just standing up for her because you VKs are super tight knit and she's like a sister to you or something." Chad spat.

"I'm fine with Claire joining our team. I think it's about time we introduce girls to a traditionally boys-only sport. Claire's the perfect person to start with." Ben said calmly.

"I'm cool with it, too. I've always thought that the rule prohibiting girls from playing was dumb. She should play with us," another guy said.

More tourney players spoke up in support of Claire, making Chad angrier.

"FINE!" Chad snapped, his face turning cherry red, "Have fun humiliating yourselves, then! I quit!"

"Okay, then. Bye, Chad." Claire said nonchalantly as Chad stormed out of the room.

The coach cleared his throat, and said, "As I was saying, congratulations, Claire, our first female tourney player!"

Claire eagerly took her jersey and hugged the coach, thanking him while Melody ran onto the stage.

"Uh, Melody? What are you doing?" Claire asked.

Melody picked up the camera around her neck and said, "I'm the President of the Yearbook Club. I thought this would make addition to this year's book. Do you mind if I get some photos?"

"What's a yearbook? Do you mean a calendar?" Claire asked.

"No, no! A yearbook is a book full of photos and images that record all the major events that happened during the school year for us to look back on when we're older, and for future generations to get to know us. A girl being added to our tourney team is a big deal because it's never happened before, so I think it belongs in the yearbook!" Melody explained.

"Oh, okay. Yeah, I'm fine with you getting pictures, then." Claire said.

"Alright. Hold your jersey up, I can't see the number. Perfect! One, two, three, smile!" Melody said as she took the picture.

She looked down at the screen and said, "Perfect! Thanks, Claire. Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Melody!" Claire said as Melody hopped off the stage.

"Oh, that reminds me. There was something else I wanted to say. Is Hayden here?" the coach asked.

"Yeah?" Hayden asked, standing.

"I've also decided that since you're so good with medicine, as evidenced by how well you handled Jay getting injured on the field during our last game, I want to offer you a job as our student medic." Coach said earnestly.

Hayden's eyes widened and jaw dropped.

"Are you serious?!" Hayden asked, excitedly.

"Yes, I am. Do you accept?" Coach asked.

"Yeah! That sounds awesome! Thanks so much!" Hayden cried, beaming.

"You're welcome. Just try to keep your fire powers under control, okay?" Coach asked.

"Speaking of fire powers," Andrew said coldly as he glared at Hayden, "I heard what Hades said to you about being the cause of my curse. I talked to my parents, and they confirmed it. Apparently, a servant of your dad's told my parents I was destined to die at birth, so in exchange for my life, she placed a curse on me that could potentially kill my aunt and cousins! She _lied!_ I was born perfectly healthy, and now I'm stuck with uncontrollable flames because of _your father._ Did you know about this?"

Hayden frowned and said, "Now that I think about it, my dad did say a couple of times that he still had faith in evil because one of his minions was able to curse an unborn baby with flames like his."

"So you did know about it! Why didn't you say anything?! Why didn't you bother to train him?!" Eli asked, frost covering the table as Andrew's fists started burning.

"Because I didn't know that the baby was _him!"_ Hayden protested.

"No, you saw the way he almost burned down the cafeteria because of your father's curse. That's why you thought it was funny when Andrew lost control of his powers, isn't it? You knew your dad had done it, so you thought it was funny! You're a sick freak!" Kris cried, leering at Hayden.

"So you're getting angry at me because of something my father did?! I didn't have anything to do with it!" Hayden snapped.

"You could've told us after I nearly burned down the school!" Andrew barked, his flames growing larger.

"I only _just_ remembered him saying that!" Hayden yelled, his hair and fists ignited, "And the reason he almost burnt down the school was because Kris and Audrey started a fight that accidentally released his powers!"

"But it wouldn't have happened in the first place if your asshole father hadn't cursed him! You claim you've changed, but you're no better than you father was!" Eli howled, ice covering the room.

"I'm not my father!" Hayden screamed, a monferno burning on his head.

"GUYS, STOP! YOU'LL CATCH THE SCHOOL ON FIRE OR FREEZE EVERYTHING!" Ben cried, panicked.

The fire on Andrew and Hayden died, and Eli's ice powers stopped spreading.

"Fine. But I never want to be near him again." Eli said coldly.

"Me neither." Andrew spat, and Kris nodded in agreement.

"Fine by me." Hayden growled.

"Guys, please don't start hating each other over this. Eli, I'm sure Hayden would've told you if he'd known." Ben pleaded.

"I highly doubt it." Eli snarled, as he grabbed his tray and to walk away from Hayden, his cousins following him.

"Well, that was a huge overreaction for something I didn't even do!" Hayden snarled as he sat down.

"They're probably just upset about the curse. Hopefully they'll get over it soon." Mal soothed.

Hayden snorted and said, "They shouldn't be _that_ upset. All things considered, Andrew got pretty lucky. My father is capable of producing curses that are far worse."

Everyone at the table shuddered, imagining the spells Hades was capable of putting on people, especially babies.

"Hey, guys." Melody said, coming up to their table, "I just realized that I have pictures of good Mal, Jay, Evie, and Carlos, but I don't have any good shots of Hayden, Harley, Fran and Claire. Do you mind if I get one?"

"Sure." Hayden, Claire, Harley, and Fran said.

"Alright could you stand near the stage, please?" Melody asked.

"Perfect." Melody said when the VKs got into position, "You guys are allowed to put your arms around each other for a group photo, if you want. Awesome, now stand a bit closer together. Yeah, that looks good! Okay, one, two, three, smile!"

Melody snapped the photo and beamed at the screen.

"Awesome! Thanks, guys!" Melody said, "This is going the best yearbook _ever!"_

"No problem, Melody." Fran said as she and her friends walked back to their table.

For the rest of the evening, the VKs sat at their table and joked and ate, Hayden, Claire, Harley, and Fran feeling completely at ease for the first time.

 _That night…_

The room was dark and cool with a late summer breeze as Hayden and Harley slept peacefully, Harley on his back and Hayden on his side.

Hayden's face looked pale in the moonlight, and his hair a lighter shade of blue as it spread over his pillow.

He suddenly woke up, smirked, and said, "Where are you going? You didn't think this was the end of the story, did you?"

Hayden winked, and then went back to sleep.


End file.
